Fall is on the way, but for now the warm and dry weather doesn’t seem to want to fade away.
But, before you know it, the days in the 80s (and 90s) will be replaced with days in the 70s!
There is a good chance your summer seasonal color looks better right now than it has all summer. Sadly, it only has a few weeks left to put on a show.
As days in the 80s are replaced by days in the 70s, the change in the landscape will be most noticeable in your summer annual color. Impatiens, begonias, penta, lantana, periwinkle, coleus, sunpatiens are often at their best in early September and fading by the end of the month.
Next up for your landscape…. Fall Seasonal Color!
One thing before we start dreaming about fall seasonal color, I need you to do me a favor…
Grab a note pad and your smart phone, head outside, and take pictures and jot down notes of your summer seasonal color.
Right now, is the perfect time to update your Seasonal Color Journal. (You have one, don’t you?)
Here’s a glimpse into our summer seasonal color journal - pictures & notes!
Coleus did a great job of adding color and texture to the summer landscape.
Sunpatiens have performed well in the last half of the summer. This year many Sunpatiens plantings were slow to get going, but the ones that survived look wonderful now.
Periwinkle is an old time summer seasonal color that is making a resurgence with new varieties. Periwinkle very well may be the star of this summer’s seasonal color. It is hard to beat its performance in a hot and dry summer.
A good sunny color combination this summer has been Coleus, Periwinkle and Lantana.
Lantana is always a great performer in hot, sunny locations from late June through September.
Penta and Joseph Coat have both performed well in the summer heat this year.
Always a summer favorite for shade is Caladiums and Inpatients.
Tropical Hibiscus have been one of our favorites this summer for container plantings.
Seasonal Color Defined:
The planting of annual (plants that only last one season) flowers in the landscape to add a seasonal accent of color. Annual color can have more impact in the landscape than any other design element. Seasonal color plantings can be large and bold, or they can be small plantings near the front door or planted on the edge of the patio to catch your attention, or they can be as simple as a few colorful landscape pots welcoming guests to your home. The key is to only plant as much color as you can adequately care for. Seasonal color, large or small, is a statement piece in your landscape.
Fall seasonal color options:
A key to pansies surviving the winter is moisture. A good deep soaking once per week in the winter will help them overwinter.
Pansies – How ironic! The cool season annual that is the toughest…the best at surviving the cold of winter is called a Pansy! Planting pansies this fall will add vibrant yellows, blues, purples, oranges, whites, and reds to your landscape for 7-8 months. The key to pansies surviving the winter is keeping the plants from being bone dry when cold fronts arrive. Pansies love fertile, well-drained soil. For the best results add compost to the soil when planting. For the best show, plant on 6” centers. Pansies are available with a clear face or with a blotch. I love both but enjoy the added color contrast you get with the blotch.
Use seasonal color as a welcoming statement for your guests.
Mums – They are actually a perennial but can double as an annual for dramatic color during October and November. They are traditionally used in pots and overlooked as a bedding plant. Use mums in the landscape for bold, eye-catching color. An added bonus – after the blooms fade, transfer the plants to a place where they will accent the landscape as a perennial in the coming springs and falls.
Kale riding out an ice storm.
When you use mums as perennials they add a splash of color to your fall landscape.
Kale and Ornamental Cabbage – A leafy annual that adds texture along with hues of purples, pinks, and whites to the fall landscape. Most winters kale and cabbage will add interest to the landscape through the holidays and occasionally into the spring. Just like pansies, the most damaging thing you can do is allow the soil to be dry when cold spells sweep in.
Pansies, kale and mums make a great combination for your fall landscape containers.
Bulbs: Tulips, Daffodils and Hyacinths – Not fall color, but they must be planted in the fall for color next spring. We will spend more time talking about spring flower bulbs later, but now is the time to start making your plans. Bulbs put on their best show in the spring when they are planted with several bulbs together in a group.
Spring flowering bulbs aren’t fall color, but you have to plan for them now and plant them in them in November for a spring show.
It’s still too early to plant spring-blooming tulip bulbs, but it isn’t too early to start planning your color scheme and where you are going to plant bulbs.
Tip - For the best color show, limit mums and/or kale to 20% or less of your planting. Because of the short bloom time of mums and the chance kale will not last until spring, you will limit your spring color show if you have too much of them. Or, plant your spring bulbs in the same area as your mums and kale. The bulbs will fill the void with a burst of color next spring.
Your lawn and landscape assignment for this week…
Document your summer seasonal color.
Plan your October seasonal color change.
Remember…Great landscapes should include plants that add color and interest in every season!
You really don’t want to be without color for the next 7-8 months, do you?
Lorne Hall
Hall|Stewart Lawn + Landscape
(405)367-3873
A blanket of pansies with kale. In this landscape tulip bulbs are planted in November every year in the area of the kale to add more color next spring.
Bad news - you only have a couple more weeks to enjoy your summer annual color. Start planning now to replant seasonal color areas in October with cool weather loving pansies, mums, and kale.