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Fall Perennial Garden Zone 3 Canada (Images)

12 years ago

Often for me in Zone 3, by the third week of September there is not much happening in the perennial garden. We only average 123 frost free days a year. This year we are at 139 frost free days and still no frost but getting close.

I took these pictures on Sept. 21. This is a sunny garden with 10-13 hours of sun average per day from May to August. Drought tolerant is the key.

The plants are not at all rare: Sedum Autumn Joy and Matrona, Globe Thistle, Echinacea Magnus, Rudbeckia Goldsturm, Karl Foerster Reed Grass, Geranium sanguinium striatum.

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Comments (8)

echinaceamaniac
12 years ago
So nice! I love the Karl Foerster Reed Grass and sedums! This has been the best year I've ever seen for sedums. They are loaded with blooms.

I am going to get some of the Karl Foerster Reed Grass. I had some I found on the clearance rack but they didn't make it. I only lost a dollar on them. They are so nice. How tall and wide are they? If they are narrow, that is what I need!
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
My Autumn Joy has been special this year, too. And COVERED with 'livestock' (honey bees, bumble bees, butterflies of all kinds, and a big assortment of wasp-y critters) constantly!

I'm thinking that I like that globe thistle, more than I thought I would.

It's a lovely, happy garden, punman.
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Starting a garden in zone 3... suggestions, please!
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Hi Karen! I live in Calgary. However, my roses will not work for your sister, because I overwinter them (potted) in the garage - so I can go up to zone 7 or 8. However - these are low maintenance roses that everyone buys here - because they are good! 1. Morden Blush - I had this in Edmonton - it grew to 3 X 2 feet. Lots and lots of blooms. Very pretty. 2. Morden Centennial - lots and lots of blooms. I grew this in Edmonton. Really pretty. 3. John Davis - wonderful rose - I have this in my front yard. Gets completely covered in roses. Has to establish first in order to get the huge amount of bloom it can get. 4. If she wants to try a fragrant tender rose - Brother Cadfael grew to 3 - 4 feet in my Edmonton garden. I protected it - but the canes were fine to the tips - so she could see if it survives. 5. Hansa - everyone here grows this one. The city uses it extensively. Very fragrant. Hybrid Rugosa - so it is close to a species rose. 6. Alexander McKenzie - probably closest to a hybrid tea bloom you will find in a hardy rose. 7. Therese Bugnet - hybridized in Alberta and really tough. I grew it in zone 2. Lovely fragrance. Yes, we get Chinooks - and they are the bane of people who grow tender roses here. However, the above roses should be fine. John Davis is probably the best of the lot. But they are all really stellar roses. I can not seem to use apostrophes. So I am sounded quite stilted. Sorry about that :) Carol
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Oh my. What is a passionate rose lover like you doing in that glacial hell hole? Reading about your endeavors has exhausted me and I haven't even lifted a shovel. I admire your grit and determination, but would love to see you rewarded with thousands of blooms on your rose bushes for all your hard work. I bet they could use engineers in zones 7 to 10!
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Welcome to the Interior! I've lived in Fairbanks for 10 years now, but only have 2 years experience with perennials (finally bought a house of my own). There are lots of rabid gardeners in Alaska (we have to have something to get us through the winters!), and lots of resources. Greenhouses: in North Pole, there's Hawk's greenhouse. I haven't been there much, but Angie (the owner) is really nice and knowledgable. Lots of perennials, annuals, and perennials. In Fairbanks, my favorite greenhouses include Plant Kingdom (which does a "Garden Walk" most Saturdays during the summer to tour their extensive demonstration beds) and Holm Town Nursery (open year-round for your January fix of plants and humidity). Botanical Gardens: The Georgeson Botanical Gardens is located near UAF. Lots of demonstration/trial beds, lots of vegetable trials, lots of long-term perennial studies. I strongly recommend touring there frequently during the summer, and if you've got time, volunteer there! You'll meet lots of friendly knowledgable people. Their website is GBG Check out their publications--every year they produce lists of vegetables and annuals and their performance, and they also have a list of recommended landscape materials. Chekc out: Publications Cooperative Extension: Michele Hebert is the horticultural expert at the Coop Extension, and she is fantastic. She teaches the Master Gardener program, which I HIGHLY recommend. Their website is CES Seed catalogs: if you grow from seed, look for northern or short-season catalogs for the most success. My favorites are Gardens North for perennials; and for vegetables, annuals, and some perennials Johnny's Selected Seeds, Veseys, and Territorial (do a search for their websites--all excellent). Good luck, and welcome to Alaska! Emily in snowy Fairbanks Here is a link that might be useful: GBG
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I always like to suggest roses for herb gardens. They were important parts of any antique herb garden. Roses offer fragrance, beautiful blooms, and tasty hips (wonderful in tea). Design-wise it will add some structure and interest to the garden. Garlic is a perfect companion plant for roses - the herb garden needs an allium or two. Garlic and chives are just two members of the allium family and you should be able to find an extra hardy variety or three that can survive the zone. Don't forget some annual plants like chili peppers which are pretty and useful! FataMorgana Here is a link that might be useful: Midwest Hardy Roses
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punman
Original Author
12 years ago
Karl Foerster Reed Grass - My one plant was purchased 6 years ago for $10.49. Over time it has been split so that I now have six plants, ranging in height from 4-6 feet. It seems the more sun - the taller it gets. It does not self-seed and grows slowly. When I say grows slowly I refer to the expansion at the diameter. The ones in my pictures are about 18 inches diameter at the base. I will leave them that way in the winter and in mid spring I will cut them back to 10 inches height and by August they will be back in height to six feet.
I have not lost any of them in that time period and it has been as cold as minus 33 C.
They look great in the winter which is great because our gardens are typically bare from early October until the first part of May.
Not often do I spend more than $7 on perennials but this was a great investment for the price and I would spend that amount again for this plant if I lost it.
I also bought Overdam Feather Reed Grass - very similar but variegated. It has survived and looks okay but has never grown above three feet and has not expanded enough for me to want to attempt to split it yet.
silvergirl426_gw
12 years ago
What nice photos and gardens. I'm in zone 5, and my coneflowers and rudbeckia are over alraedy. I personally love the "ordinary" flowers -- it's what my garden is full of. I have never been attracted to the new and to my mind sometimes weird. A couple of years ago, there was a thread started by Carl, who posts here too, in "my" forum -- the New England forum called Ordinary Plants in Extraordinary settings. A lot of us added to the thread, some of whom are incredibly accomplished gardeners. I don't know how to attach a link, but here's the address (it's from Google, it's already fallen off the New Eng board). Enjoy
lucia

gardenweb.com/forums/load/.../msg0713412511728.html
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
12 years ago
Below is a link to that discussion.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ordinary Plants in Extraordinary Settings New England Forum
mantis__oh
12 years ago
Give us a close-up of the echinops. I too like the reed grass punctuating the garden. Great!
gottagarden
12 years ago
You've certainly made the most of a cold zone. Great combinations, you've proved the point that you don't need fancy new introductions, healthy stalwarts really shine!
Cher
12 years ago
Everything looks lovely. Some great choices on plants.
Cher

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