See How Just 1 Ingredient Can Jump-Start a Dazzling Fall Garden
Give tired, end-of-season borders a boost with one of these high-impact plants that cross over from summer to fall
Lauren Dunec Hoang
August 19, 2019
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and in-house designer for Sunset's Editorial Test Garden. Her garden designs have been featured in the Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping, Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings (cover), Inhabitat, and POPSUGAR.
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and... More
Imagine the impact of a pot of brightly blooming flowers set on your doorstep. The eye is immediately drawn to the color, skimming over other areas of the porch, perhaps not noticing details like peeling paint or steps in need of a sweep. In the same way, adding just one colorful perennial or a shimmering ornamental grass can rejuvenate a worn-out late-summer garden bed.
In need of an end-of-season boost? Take a look at how planting a single fall favorite, such as gold-petaled black-eyed Susan or purple fountain grass, can gracefully transition beds from summer to fall.
In need of an end-of-season boost? Take a look at how planting a single fall favorite, such as gold-petaled black-eyed Susan or purple fountain grass, can gracefully transition beds from summer to fall.
Autumn Joy Stonecrop
(Hylotelephium ‘Autumn Joy’, syn. Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’)
Cultivar of species native to Eurasia
This easy-care plant is a popular choice for fall gardens, with good reason. Its standout blooms come into their own in September, turning from pale green to rosy pink and then to deep pomegranate, just as many other summer flowers are beginning to fade. Sticking just one of these clumping perennials into a garden bed will immediately draw the eye and the attention of butterflies and other pollinators.
(Hylotelephium ‘Autumn Joy’, syn. Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’)
Cultivar of species native to Eurasia
This easy-care plant is a popular choice for fall gardens, with good reason. Its standout blooms come into their own in September, turning from pale green to rosy pink and then to deep pomegranate, just as many other summer flowers are beginning to fade. Sticking just one of these clumping perennials into a garden bed will immediately draw the eye and the attention of butterflies and other pollinators.
‘Autumn Joy’ stonecrop with fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides)
Pair it with: Ornamental grasses and fine-leaved perennials, such as artemisia or thyme. The contrast in textures between stonecrop’s succulent leaves and chunky flowers and feathery grasses or small-leaved plants makes for a standout combination.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 3 to 10; find your zone)
Water requirement: Moderate; low once established
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 1½ to 2 feet tall and wide
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Pair it with: Ornamental grasses and fine-leaved perennials, such as artemisia or thyme. The contrast in textures between stonecrop’s succulent leaves and chunky flowers and feathery grasses or small-leaved plants makes for a standout combination.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 3 to 10; find your zone)
Water requirement: Moderate; low once established
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 1½ to 2 feet tall and wide
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Black-Eyed Susan
(Rudbeckia hirta)
Native to North America
The cheerful golden-petaled and dark-centered blooms of black-eyed Susan, also called gloriosa daisy, enliven late-summer and fall borders. The plants, native to prairies of the central United States, are much beloved by butterflies. Cultivars may be available at your local nursery, producing flowers in shades of red, bronze and orange and with bicolored petals.
(Rudbeckia hirta)
Native to North America
The cheerful golden-petaled and dark-centered blooms of black-eyed Susan, also called gloriosa daisy, enliven late-summer and fall borders. The plants, native to prairies of the central United States, are much beloved by butterflies. Cultivars may be available at your local nursery, producing flowers in shades of red, bronze and orange and with bicolored petals.
Pair it with: For a fall bouquet garden, pair black-eyed Susan with other late-summer blooms that work well as cut flowers, such as shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum; shown here with black-eyed Susan), annual sunflowers, chrysanthemums and coneflowers (Echinacea spp.).
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 7)
Water requirement: Moderate; low once established
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 foot to 2 feet wide
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 7)
Water requirement: Moderate; low once established
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 foot to 2 feet wide
‘Mardis Gras’ sneezeweed
Sneezeweed
(Helenium spp.)
Native to North and South America
Look past the unattractive common name for what is a gorgeous late-summer bloomer. Flowers bloom from August to October, with petals in yellow, orange, red and striped variations that grow from the center like rays of the sun.
The plants grow in clumps that can mature to be about 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. To refresh borders this season, remove tired-looking summer annuals and fill in the gaps with budding sneezeweed.
Sneezeweed
(Helenium spp.)
Native to North and South America
Look past the unattractive common name for what is a gorgeous late-summer bloomer. Flowers bloom from August to October, with petals in yellow, orange, red and striped variations that grow from the center like rays of the sun.
The plants grow in clumps that can mature to be about 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. To refresh borders this season, remove tired-looking summer annuals and fill in the gaps with budding sneezeweed.
Pair it with: The chocolate centers of sneezeweed flowers play well with plants that have brown or deep bronze hues. In this border in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, sneezeweed is combined with the brown seed heads of a rush (Juncus sp.), purple-bronze leaves of ‘Grace’ smoke tree (Cotinus ‘Grace’) and dark-centered black-eyed Susans to make a stunning quartet.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, depending on variety
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, depending on variety
Purple fountain grass and lion’s ear (Leonotis leonurus) line a Southern California pathway.
Purple Fountain Grass
(Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’)
Cultivar of species native to Africa, Asia and the Middle East
The grande dame of ornamental grasses, purple fountain grass can grow up to 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide in a single season, with arching purple leaves and fuzzy, caterpillar-like seed heads.
Note: The commonly available ‘Rubrum’ cultivar does not reseed as other Pennisetums do, making it a good variety to plant in the home garden.
Purple Fountain Grass
(Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’)
Cultivar of species native to Africa, Asia and the Middle East
The grande dame of ornamental grasses, purple fountain grass can grow up to 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide in a single season, with arching purple leaves and fuzzy, caterpillar-like seed heads.
Note: The commonly available ‘Rubrum’ cultivar does not reseed as other Pennisetums do, making it a good variety to plant in the home garden.
Pair it with: While purple fountain grass is often added to planting beds studded with other deeply saturated hues of red, orange and gold, it can be paired with silver and blue-green foliage to create a subtle, elegant vignette that looks particularly fresh in fall.
A few silver-leaved plants to consider: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Blue Surprise’ and dusty miller (Jacobaea maritima, syn. Senecio cineraria), as pictured in this combination, varieties of stonecrop (Sedum spp.) or variegated ‘Marjorie Channon’ kōhūhū (Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Marjorie Channon’).
Where it will grow: Hardy to 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 3.9 degrees Celsius (zones 9 to 10)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and 1½ to 2 feet wide
A few silver-leaved plants to consider: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Blue Surprise’ and dusty miller (Jacobaea maritima, syn. Senecio cineraria), as pictured in this combination, varieties of stonecrop (Sedum spp.) or variegated ‘Marjorie Channon’ kōhūhū (Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Marjorie Channon’).
Where it will grow: Hardy to 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 3.9 degrees Celsius (zones 9 to 10)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and 1½ to 2 feet wide
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) and ‘Phantom’ Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium ‘Phantom’)
Coneflower
(Echinacea spp.)
Native to the eastern and central United States
Another fall garden favorite, coneflower is easy to grow, drought-tolerant once established and consistently in bloom from June to late August or September. Pollinators adore the blooms, which can be left to go to seed, providing a food source for birds and seeding new plants in garden beds.
Coneflower
(Echinacea spp.)
Native to the eastern and central United States
Another fall garden favorite, coneflower is easy to grow, drought-tolerant once established and consistently in bloom from June to late August or September. Pollinators adore the blooms, which can be left to go to seed, providing a food source for birds and seeding new plants in garden beds.
White and pink coneflowers surround blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens).
Pair it with: For a naturalistic meadow look, plant coneflowers blooming in shades of pink, white and pale yellow in beds with mixed ornamental grasses or lavender-blue-flowering Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia).
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 8)
Water requirement: Moderate; low once established
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 2 to 5 feet tall and 1½ to 2 feet wide
Pair it with: For a naturalistic meadow look, plant coneflowers blooming in shades of pink, white and pale yellow in beds with mixed ornamental grasses or lavender-blue-flowering Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia).
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 8)
Water requirement: Moderate; low once established
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 2 to 5 feet tall and 1½ to 2 feet wide
New Zealand Wind Grass
(Anemanthele lessoniana)
Native to New Zealand
This cool-season grass is a medium olive green for much of the year, but come fall the wiry blades turn a brilliant orange. Once the color change occurs, the grass appears to burn like a fire in planting beds —particularly when backlit. New Zealand wind grass has the added benefit of being resistant to deer and tolerant of difficult growing conditions, like rocky and windy slopes. It does, however, need excellent drainage; if you have clay soil, amend heavily before planting.
Learn more about the plants in this waterfront garden
(Anemanthele lessoniana)
Native to New Zealand
This cool-season grass is a medium olive green for much of the year, but come fall the wiry blades turn a brilliant orange. Once the color change occurs, the grass appears to burn like a fire in planting beds —particularly when backlit. New Zealand wind grass has the added benefit of being resistant to deer and tolerant of difficult growing conditions, like rocky and windy slopes. It does, however, need excellent drainage; if you have clay soil, amend heavily before planting.
Learn more about the plants in this waterfront garden
Pair it with: Given its fiery golden orange color and distinctive texture, New Zealand wind grass stands out next to most other plants. Play with subtle combinations of it and plants with gray-green and silver foliage, such as silver carpet (Dymondia margaretae), shown here, or low-growing stonecrop. For more drama, combine it with purple-leaved plants, such as spurge (Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’) or dark purple smoke tree (Cotinus spp.).
Where it will grow: Hardy to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 6.7 degrees Celsius (zones 8 to 10)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 3 feet tall and wide
Where it will grow: Hardy to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 6.7 degrees Celsius (zones 8 to 10)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 3 feet tall and wide
Planting Tips
For instant results, look for semimature to mature plants at the nursery. For perennials, pick plants that look vigorous and are in bud; for ornamental grasses, choose ones that look full in their containers.
As always, pay attention to the growing conditions each plant needs to thrive: Does it need full sun or partial shade? How much water? Choose the placement in your garden accordingly.
Once you bring the plants home, get them in the ground as soon as you can. More mature plants run the risk of being root-bound in their nursery containers, so it’s best to carefully loosen roots before planting and to plant your choices relatively quickly.
Bonus: While you may be planting now to refresh your late-summer garden, you’re actually getting a jump-start on next year’s spring garden as well. Perennials and ornamental grasses planted in fall make use of the cool winter months to establish their root systems. Come spring, they’ll be ready to burst into growth, giving your garden a head start.
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For instant results, look for semimature to mature plants at the nursery. For perennials, pick plants that look vigorous and are in bud; for ornamental grasses, choose ones that look full in their containers.
As always, pay attention to the growing conditions each plant needs to thrive: Does it need full sun or partial shade? How much water? Choose the placement in your garden accordingly.
Once you bring the plants home, get them in the ground as soon as you can. More mature plants run the risk of being root-bound in their nursery containers, so it’s best to carefully loosen roots before planting and to plant your choices relatively quickly.
Bonus: While you may be planting now to refresh your late-summer garden, you’re actually getting a jump-start on next year’s spring garden as well. Perennials and ornamental grasses planted in fall make use of the cool winter months to establish their root systems. Come spring, they’ll be ready to burst into growth, giving your garden a head start.
More on Houzz
How to Get Started on a Landscape Redesign
Find a landscape designer
Shop for gardening tools
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I see some old comments here about deer menus. For years they didn't bother my echinacea or limelight hydrangeas, but the last two years they ate those and even my fig tree. They ate the black eyed susans (though they will finally bloom on three inch stems). Other things like day lillies they had always enjoyed. I dug up almost everything, even the fig. I decided to go for natives that deer won't eat. I ordered plugs from prairiemoon nursery because the local nurseries either didn't have the natives I wanted or had only two when maybe I wanted a dozen. So far I've found they won't touch litle bluestem or agastache (anise hyssop). I don't think they've touched New England aster, but it's so slow growing. They've bitten into two of the amsonia illustris, but I doubt they'll try that again (it has a bad-tasting sap). I've now planted yet another kind of amsonia, which is gorgeous. They've damaged one kind of coreopsis but it pops back after a while. Monarda (two kinds) are fine. I believe they tasted the baptisia (I planted small yellow and white versions) but haven't destroyed. They are slow growers too and will get an unbelievable tap root so I had to be careful where I put them; I'm sure a future owner of my house will hate me because I planted a dozen. They nibble on the redtwig dogwood but they're surviving. I'm now experimenting with ferns near the house, an area which gets only late afternoon sun. I've found ferns that can tolerate some sun if the soil is kept moist. I still have catmint and Russian sage left from the previous garden, and even though deer won't eat them, they don't complement the natives well, especially the catmint, a plant highly overrated in my opinion. Getting rid of both of these is a chore. Now that these new plants are taking over the garden, the deer seem to have less interest in the echinacea that are left. I did hours of research to come up with these ideas; if I had a shade garden I could find lots of things they won't eat. My big problem is finding shrubs they'll leave alone, native shrubs for the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I don't know how to explain this, but the natives have a "clean" appearance and now I can't imagine going back to those messy day lillies.
Deer eat everything, including pure poision. Don't worry if they nibble, if there's some left they didn't like it.
They're starving ...