Focus on Flowers

As summer transitions into fall, we usually rely on mums and asters to give us color as the growing season wanes. But some other reliable bloomers are our native Culver’s Root, which has the botanical name Veronicastrum Virginicum and a good variety is ‘Fascination’. It is a tall plant, 36-48 inches high and 15 to 24 inches wide, so you need space for it and full sun and well- drained soil. However, it is easy care and does not need to be staked. It is hardy zones 3-9.  
Hyssops also bloom late, and there are pretty blue flowering ones as well as the lovely sunset hyssop with reddish pink blossoms, hardy zones 5-9, also native to the US.
A low growing plant, plumbago, also provides beautiful blue flowers and then red foliage at the finale of the growing season. Let it creep along your driveway or spill over a wall and it will make you happy each fall.
Japanese anemones are useful too, although the deer sometimes eat some of mine. I love their pink or pure white flowers on tall wiry stems, and they spread well. 
If you need an edging plant that blooms late, liriope is useful and produces either blue or white flower spires above strap-like leaves. Cut this plant to the ground with a weed eater either late winter or early spring and fresh leaves will return to charm you.

The name gladioli comes from the Latin word meaning sword because of the shape of the stiff sword-like leaves of the plant. 
Historically, there are early mentions of the plant, also referred to as “cornflag,” being a weed in European cornfields. In England, a native species grew only in the New Forest and the Isle of Wight. Gladiolus was first mentioned in England in 1578 in the garden list of William Mount. In 1597, Gerard wrote about two European species that were used as a poultice to draw out splinters and thorns from flesh. 
By the early 1600s, glads were being grown in gardens in England, and by the 1700s, glads were being imported to England and were quite common, with new species arriving frequently from South Africa. New varieties were also bred in both France and Germany in the 1800s.
In 1907, an American called Mr. Kundera developed the first glad with ruffled edges.
The variety Gladiolus primulinus from Victoria Falls, Mozambique is also called “Maid of the Mist.” Its hooded petals were thought to have evolved originally to protect the stamens and pistil from the spray from the falls. The yellow and orange colors of the glads we have today came from the genetic legacy of the “Maid of the Mist.”

Agastaches belong to the mint family, and, as a result, they all have square stems. They also have aromatic leaves and clusters of small flowers. 
Commonly called Mexican hyssops, they can be perennial but only a few are hardy as far north as zones 4 and 5. The tender species are grown as annuals in the north and are perennial in the south. 
Hyssops are easy going and make few demands. They grow in full sun or light shade and spread to make 2-3 foot clumps. Divide them in the spring, and they bloom all summer long delighting the hummingbirds but fortunately not the deer. 
There is a lovely gold-orange variety Agastache ‘Kudos Gold’ and a salmon-orange with rose and purple called ‘Apache Sunset’, and there is a more compact variety ’Little Adder’(zones 6 to 9) featuring spires of lavender and purple flowers on each stem. 
All hummingbird mints are upright in form and bloom all summer long. The bees, as well as the hummingbirds, enjoy them, and they are carefree and drought resistant once established. The flowers make welcome additions to bouquets, but the plants need good drainage. 
These are good plants for an informal colorful, easy-care planting that will show up well from a distance.

The common sunflower goes by the botanical name of Helianthus annus. Extensive breeding has resulted in a great number of cultivars with yellow, orange, red, cream, white, and bi-color blooms, in many different sizes and flower shapes. 
The plants can grow 3-10 feet tall and so some need support. They are not temperamental plants, and most are native to Northern Mexico, Canada, and the United States. They are deer resistant and easy to grow and the seeds can be harvested for sowing in subsequent years. Plants are both annual and perennial, but all must have full sun and well-drained soil. 
Since their heads are mostly heavy, they prefer a sheltered location or un-staked plants can be easily blown over. Plant seeds 1 inch deep and 12-18 inches apart if they are annuals. Perennial varieties spread by rhizomes so need to be spaced 2-3 feet apart. Fertilizing at planting time helps the roots grow strong, which protects the plants from blowing over. 
Some gardeners plant annual sunflowers at two-week intervals from spring to early summer to ensure a succession of blooms. Mulch well to retain moisture and deter weeds. Do not fertilize much, because if the heads get too big, they are likely to break their stems. Divide perennial plants every three years. 
Since there are over 70 species, there are many types to choose from and experiment with.
“Heli” means sun and “anthus” means flower.

Many annuals need to be deadheaded to keep blooming all season. While snipping off the spent blossoms can hardly be described as hard work, it is easier not to have to remember to do this chore. For that reason, many of us try to buy annuals that do not need deadheading in order to re-bloom all season long and right into fall. 
One such plant is lantana, which is great in regions with cold winters where it can’t winter over and so doesn’t get aggressive. While I would never grow it in my native Australia where it is a terrible invasive, I do plant it in the Midwest garden where the deer leave it severely alone. Once established it flourishes with no help from me. 
I also love angelonias. The tall ones make good cut flowers and the shorter ones look pretty anywhere in the garden or in pots, and they also are deer resistant. They grow in full or part sun and come in pinks, whites, blues, and purples. 
And, how would we manage nowadays without begonias? They come with both green and dark-colored leaves, like both sun and shade, and are perfect in pots, boxes, hanging baskets, and beds, and stand up well in hot weather with less water than many annuals. My favorite is Dragon’s Wing Begonia, but most available varieties perform beautifully and require minimal attention.
I also love the dark red coleus ‘Redhead’ for pots, and cuttings root easily in water, so one can have a great many. Any kind of coleus, as well as any annual salvia, is trouble-free and require no daily deadheading.