Hi GPODers!

Last week I shared photos from a recent trip to Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield, Massachusetts to talk about some plants for Halloween (If you missed it, check that post out here). However, I didn’t mention that I had not anticipated their extensive garden displays at all, and that I took several more photos of colorful fall plants that caught my eye. I decided to share some more today.

There were tons of amazing annuals still covered in blooms, including this Coral Nymph salvia (Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’, Zones 9–11 or as an annual) that is much-loved by hummingbirds and other pollinators.

There are a multitude of ornamental grasses that shine this time of year. And while there are many native selections that can provide late-season interest (if you’re looking for some great native grasses, be sure to check out this article: Native Grasses), it’s often non-native options that find themselves in most fall displays. Zebra grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’, Zones 5–9) at least brings some out-of-the-box interest with its golden stripes, but it should be avoided at all costs in milder climates where it can easily spread of out control.

Yet another annual providing late-season blooms for busy pollinators was this fabulous purple spider flower (Cleome houtteana, Zones 10–11 or as an annual). A flower with a really interesting form, I’m particularly fond of its other common name: ‘Grandfather’s whiskers’.

Another splashy ornamental, ruby grass (Melinis nerviglumis ‘Savannah’, Zones 8–10) does double-duty with blue-green foliage and dusty-rose colored panicles that fade to white as the season progresses. Of course, it’s another grass that can reseed aggressively in some areas.

Again, a multitude of mums in fun fall colors, and tons of different varieties of ornamental kale were scattered throughout the beds. This Peacock™ ‘Red’ ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea ‘Peacock Red’, annual) was particulalry eye-catching with its lacy green-to-purple foliage.

‘Silver Falls’ dichondra (Dichondra micrantha ‘Silver Falls’, Zones 4–9) is a a popular choice for “spillers” in container plantings, but I found this design particularly compelling. Rather than trailing to the ground in a hanging basket, or spilling off to one side as a silvery accent, this ‘Silver Falls’ was used to completely wrap and conceal the container’s plain pot.

A close up to better show how this fabulous planting looks like it’s growing straight out of the ground.

I hope you enjoyed this selection of fun fall plants, and that some pleasantly surprised you—just as they were to me.

Have you been pleasantly surprised by any fall plantings this season? Most fall containers and beds in public spaces can be full of the same old selections, but every once in a while you’ll stumble upon a surprisingly stylish and original design. Let us know if you’ve discovered anything new this year in the comments, or share your photos by following the directions below.

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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