Just because summer is winding down doesn’t mean your garden has to! Fall in Hampton Roads is one of the most beautiful times of the year offering vibrant colors and rich textures. The possibilities are endless when planning your fall garden and landscape, so keep the color coming with some of our favorite fall-blooming perennials:
Goldenrod ‘Little Lemon’
If you haven't discovered Goldenrod, you are missing out on one of natures greatest plants! This yellow blooming beauty adds an invigorating splash of color to the fall garden when little else is blooming. Goldenrod is a tough plant that will make a stunning addition to any sunny spot. It’s very easy to grow and attracts tons of butterflies. Try it in containers and it also makes a great addition to cut flower arrangements. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil.
Toad Lily ‘Taipei Silk’
Toad lilies are a great way to keep shade gardens from getting dull at the end of the summer season. These easy to care for perennials feature shiny, dark green leaves with tiny intricate, orchid-like flowers in mauve to lavender. Toad lilies blooms from late summer through fall. Pair with other shade-loving foliage plants, like hostas, ferns and heurchera. Plant in a shady spot in moist, well-drained soil.
Sedum ‘Mr. Goodbud’
This classic autumn plant has an upright habit that forms a bushy mound of succulent green leaves. Taller stems appear in late summer, supporting large clusters of light-pink buds that turn into starry flowers in dark mauve pink. These develop into brown seed heads for additional winter interest. Ideal as a groundcover, border edging, in rock gardens and containers. This perennial does best in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.
Agastache
This lovely fall-blooming perennial comes in shades of pink, apricot, and lavender that bloom in late summer into autumn. It is commonly known as either hummingbird mint or Anise Hyssop (due to its licorice scent). It thrives in dry conditions and is easy to care for. The fragrant foliage and flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Ideal for sunny beds and borders, in containers, herb gardens or as a cut flower in arrangements. Prefers full sun and well-drained soil.
Salvia ‘Hot Lips’
There’s no ignoring this stunning perennial whose upper portion is pure white and lower lip is red, and sometimes flowers are all white or all red. A fast-growing, drought tolerant selection, that blooms from mid summer through fall. 'Hot Lips' works well in beds, borders, containers and in mass plantings. This variety is a hummingbird favorite, but is usually ignored by deer. Prefers full sun to part shade.