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Last Updated: Nov 14, 2008 - 12:49:26 PM |
Just as summer annuals begin to fade, we start looking for options to provide color to the fall garden, with mums generally the choice plants of most of us. Available in a wide range of colors, chrysanthemums, or mums as they are fondly called, seem to fit the menu fairly well.
So, this fall, when we wanted to spruce our front and back yards for a special outdoor event at a rather short notice, my first and foremost thought, as expected, was to get a “truckload” of mums and plant them in the ground or containers at every nook and cranny of the garden. However, upon broadening the focus a little, and without betraying our trusted mums of course, I have come across a number of plants, some accidental and some that needed a little brainstorming, to add excitement and color to the garden.
One such plant that caught my attention was sort of a loner kept among a huge assortment of mums at a local market: the humble peppers, the ornamental ones that is. Like tiny purple and red holiday lights, the potted plants that are loaded with fruits not only look very festive, but could turn into conversation pieces or ice-breakers of the party.
What about the summer plants growing in containers such as knockout roses, annuals and perennials that are still going strong, or the indoor plants that were brought outdoors during summer, which can temporarily be moved wherever needed? Following a face-lift, I have every intention of taking advantage of ours and have already designated a spot to each of them at bare spots of the perennial bed. A word of caution here: make sure not to leave any tender plants outside longer that necessary if weather is on the cool side.
In addition to the tried-and true ones like the cheery pansies that one can never have enough of, another plant that can provide instant color are the asters that come in bright blues and purples as well.
Fall-blooming perennials, particularly the ones grown in containers, are great quick-fixes for color as well as structures; to mention a few here are the sedums that bear lovely foliage and flowers, and the Montauk Daisy that waits to put forth the flowers in fall. Both of these plants are a delight to have and a good investment, too, as they come back year after year.
With this said, however, if you happen to run into me getting an armload of mums, remember, “mum’s the word.”
gitaagrawal@juno.com
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