Early Autumn Color in the Gardens
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we're expecting more showers this morning after an entire day of heavy rains and flash flooding. It's been a very wet start to autumn, but there are still some beautiful surprises out in the gardens.
Most of the flowers are gone, but there are a few perennials showing off their late summer-early fall colors - the Russian sage, Japanese anemones, nasturtiums, phlox, asters, and of course, the autumn crocus.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- The common name for Colchicum is autumn crocus, but they are not true autumn crocus because there are many species of true crocus which are autumn blooming. Also, Colchicum flowers have six stamens while crocuses have only three. Colchicum is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coast, down the East African coast to South Africa and the Western Cape.
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- The scientific name comes from Colchis, a region on the coast of the Black Sea. The name Colchicum alludes to the poisonous qualities of the species. The plant contains an alkaloid known as colchicine, which is found in all parts, but mostly in the seeds. Colchicum typically blooms from September to November. Here are some flowers just beginning to open.
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- And then once open, Colchicums produce large, goblet-like blooms in shades of pink, violet or white. They are large striking flower heads, with white at the base leading to pale pink at the apex.
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- Some of the varieties we’ve planted include ‘Lilac Wonder’, ‘Waterlily’, ‘Dick Trotter’, Colchicum byzantinum, and Colchicum bornmuelleri. This one is “Waterlily” – a double petaled cultivar.
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- When the weather is mild, colchicum’s nearly perfect cup-shape flowers begin to unfurl. Most Colchicum plants produce their flowers without any foliage. This is why these flowers were first known by the common name “naked boys.” In the Victorian era, they were also called “naked ladies.”
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- Colchicums are quite delicate but spread nicely in the autumn garden. Colchicum is a good pollen source for bees in fall when little else is available for them. And, because Colchicums are toxic, they provide a natural way to repel animals such as deer, mice, squirrels, and moles.
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- These flowers look so beautiful grown in clumps. I have them in various gardens near the carriage roads, so they can be seen by visiting guests.
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- When in bloom, phlox are covered with groups of small, sweet-smelling, star-shaped flowers from clean white to pale pastel, including pink, red, lavender, and purple.
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- Phlox species have tubular flowers with five distinct petals.
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- Aster is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Asters have daisy-like flowers and come in a variety of colors. They are easy to grow and require very little maintenance. They typically bloom in the late summer and fall, and they add color to the garden as the seasons change.
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- The name Aster is Greek, meaning “star,” and refers to the appearance of the flowers.
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- White Wood Aster, Aster divaricatus, bears clusters of small white flowers in late summer. These are herbaceous perennial wildflowers with an upright and mounding growth habit.
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- Tricyrtis hirta, the toad lily or hairy toad lily, is a Japanese species of hardy herbaceous perennial plant in the lily family Liliaceae. Toad lilies are hardy perennials native to ravines and woodland edges in India, China, Japan, and other parts of Asia. Toad lily flowers bloom in a range of spotted colors in the axels of the plant.
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- Most Tricyrtis begin blooming in September or October, depending on the cultivar and the weather, and remain for three or four weeks or until they are wilted by frost.
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- Under my long pergola, there are still some beautiful passion flower blooms showing off their color and unique form. They bloom from spring through late fall, The passion flower genus includes more than 500 species of mostly tendril-bearing vines in the family Passifloraceae.
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- Also in my pergola garden is Perovskia atriplicifolia, commonly called Russian sage. It shows tall, airy, spike-like clusters that create a lavender-blue cloud of color above the finely textured, aromatic foliage. It is vigorous, hardy, heat-loving, drought-tolerant, and deer resistant.
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- In the nearby flower cutting garden – morning glory. I have some growing on the fence. The brightly colored trumpet-shaped flowers have a slight fragrance and are popular with butterflies and hummingbirds. The buds are twirled up tightly and unfold when the sun hits them in the morning, giving them their unique name.
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- This is a Nasturtium. Nasturtium plants, Tropaeolum, are loved for their rich, saturated, jewel-toned colors. Planted in the spring after the threat of frost has passed, they are fast and easy to grow. Nasturtium is a genus of about 80 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants. It was named by Carl Linnaeus in his book Species Plantarum, and is the only genus in the family Tropaeolaceae.
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- These flowers can vary in shade, but the most popular versions are orange, yellow, pink, red, or mahogany. There are also varieties in subdued shades of butter yellow and cream.
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- Here’s a look at the interesting leaves of Nasturtium. The leaves are circular, shield-shaped and grow on a trailing plant. They are fragrant, with a mustard-like scent. And, do you know… all parts of the nasturtium plant are edible. The flowers, leaves, stems, and young seed pods can be eaten. All of these parts have a distinct peppery flavor similar to radishes.
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- There are still a few hydrangea flowers in the garden also – these are across the carriage road from my chicken yard. Hydrangeas are popular ornamental plants, grown for their large flower heads, which are excellent in cut arrangements and for drying.
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- The anemones are also holding strong. Anemone is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Most anemone flowers have a simple, daisy-like shape and lobed foliage that sway in the lightest breezes.
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- Depending on the species, anemones can bloom from the earliest days of spring into the fall months. These blooms sit atop upright, airy stems and grow two to three feet tall.
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- And the two-and-a-half inch wide circular flowers come in white, pink, or mauve. Flowers can be single, double, or semi-double and add great late season color to the garden. I hope wherever you are this weekend, you can stop to appreciate the beautiful flowers that are still showing off their gorgeous colors and forms this time of year.
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