When we call old age the autumn of life, we dream that it would really resemble autumn, especially ours - Polish golden one.Unfortunately, we do not age as picturesquely as nature, which turns green leaves into all shades of yellow, brown and red, sprinkles shining chestnuts, turns red, turns golden, turns dark blue with various fruits …And all this richness of colors slowly flows down to the ground, creating a rug that is becoming thicker and more patterned.
Having a garden, we can not only admire these paintings, but also create them artistically. The symbols of autumn are perennial asters, called marcinkas or tiny flowers, whose inflorescences begin to appear at the end of August and die after the first strong frosts.White, pink, lilac, blue and purple flowers of various shades create warm, sun-drenched compositions.
Unique asters
The gardens are dominated by the bushy aster Aster dumosus, represented by varieties growing up to 20-70 cm, New England aster Aster novaeangliae, 130-180 cm high (they are also low) with stiff stems covered with, like leaves, hairs, and the Novibelgian aster Aster novibelgii, 40-130 cm high, with naked leafy shoots along the entire length.These perennials need medium-fertile or fertile, not too light soil and full light, especially species with hairs covered with shoots.
The main accent of autumn flowerbeds can also be Chrysanthemum x grandiflorum large-flowered chrysanthemum with numerous ground varieties and previously cultivated under covers, with a wide range of flower colors. They bloom for a long time, creating effective carpets continuously from late summer to frost. The varieties differ, apart from the early flowering period and the color of the baskets, as well as the structure of the baskets (they are single, anemone, needle-like, pompom-like and others) and the height of the plants.Chrysanthemums have similar requirements to asters.
Before the leaves of the trees turn yellow, the autumn garden sparkles with the golden colors of such perennials as: reddish, rudbeckia, Echinacea, sunflower, goldenrod and goldenrod, called by Tuwim mimosa ("Autumn begins with mimosa …"). And although these undemanding and easy-to-grow perennials flower shorter than asters and chrysanthemums, the blooming ones are still decorative, especially the brilliant and hairy rudbeckia (note - this is an annual plant) and Echinacea with its large brown, conical or spherical centers of inflorescences (baskets) .
Autumn - time for cyclamen, heather and dahlias
Large and large sedum plants look very good in the autumn bed - both when they bloom (pink, purple, lilac and white) and after fading. The advantages of these perennials are long flowering (from late August to October), longevity and adaptation to dry and barren soils.
Less known and deserving widespread are the ceratostigma Ceratostigma plumbaginoides and the Neapolitan cyclamen Cyclamen hederifolium. The first is a low ground cover shrub with hard underground stolons, ovoid leaves that turn reddish brown in autumn, and azure blue flowers that develop from August to November.The second, blooming for so long, has pale pink flowers with a carmine eye and heart-shaped evergreen leaves.
A perfect complement to the autumn perennial bedding can be abundantly flowering annual plants, such as: seaside smagliczka, scattered sanvitalia and marigolds (they are not afraid of a slight frost). In the autumn garden, you should also find a place for the common heather Calluna vulgaris - a photophilous shrub that requires an acidic, humus substrate.There are hundreds of varieties of this species differ in the color of flowers and leaves, as well as the early flowering period.
Among them we will find full-flowered varieties and bud varieties in which the flower buds never open, thanks to which they remain decorative for a long time, even until January.Heathers look best in larger groups and in the company of ornamental grasses, in particular the low tufted blue fescue Festuca cinerea and the bear fescue Festuca scoparia.
Ah, ornamental grasses!
Autumn without tall ornamental grass is like spring without tulips.At this time of the year, miscanthus are the most decorative: flowery Miscanthus floridulus, whose shoots and leaves turn a fiery red color, sugar Miscanthus sacchariflorus, creating permanent silvery-white inflorescences, and Chinese Miscanthus sinensis, distinguishing - depending on the variety - shimmering silvery, beige, pink and carmine inflorescences.Its varieties with striped leaves, such as 'Zebrinus', as well as the variety called 'Gracillimus' with delicate, arched leaves, turning red in winter, are also effective.
Welcome to the magical world of grasses
With their fiery, temperamental color, the Soghastrum sorgastrum and the Spodiopogon szrobródek attract attention.On the other hand, the rose millet Panicum virgatum can still surprise us with its delicate, scattered inflorescences. Noteworthy are its varieties 'Rotstrahlbusch' with blue-green leaves, turning purple-brown in October, and 'Heavy Metal' with very stiff blue-green leaves and brown inflorescences.
It is also worth mentioning the very impressive Japanese reproduction Pennisetum alopecuroides, distinguished by long, fluffy yellowish, brown or dark purple inflorescences (depending on the variety).These species especially like quiet, fully sunlit or slightly sunny shaded positions and permeable, humus and mineral soils. Rozplenice should be protected against frost.
Remember that perennials, including grasses, winter much better if they do not have the above-ground parts removed.The uncut stems and leaves of these plants are a natural cover for the soil, renewing buds and roots.Additional protection against frost is accumulating and remaining longer between the stalks snow.
Ornamental fruit plants
Scalloped Golteria Gaulhteria procumbens is a short (10-15 cm) shrub with evergreen leaves that turn slightly red in winter, and spherical red fruits that persist from autumn until late spring.The plants of this species correspond to permeable, humus and acidic soils as well as shady or semi-shaded sites.On the other hand, Physalis alkekengi is a medium-tall perennial that grows quickly with long rhizomes, and owes its decorativeness to intensely orange calyxes , similar to lanterns.
Plants with ornamental leaves
Noteworthy are Heuchera cranberries, represented by many varieties with differently colored leaves, also in the colors of golden autumn.They form a beautiful cover and thus a background for many other species.The woolly purgatory Stachys byzantina with silvery-white, softly hairy leaves and Cerastium tomentosum with a similar color but much finer leaves perform the same function. Both perennials retain their foliage for the winter and are long-lived.
The mugwort Pursha Artemisia ludoviciana also has low requirements, creating compact silvery-gray fields, harmonizing nicely with plants of other colors. This group of plants should include ornamental cabbage, an annual plant of extremely refined beauty.It can have leaves of cream, pink, red and purple in one or two colors.These cabbage "roses" are not afraid of rain, wind, frost, and some of them endure several degrees of frost.
