The Fall Side Garden

So many perennials are so fleeting. It is rare to find one that blooms more than three weeks. As gardeners we are always seeking the perfect combination of plants, choreographing bloom times so that we always have one plant coming into bloom as the prior plant fades into its state of hibernation. It is often frustrating -- usually we can get a small garden to look good (even great) for one season, but then we have only sporadic blooms the remainder of the gardening year.

I have shown you this area twice before - in the spring and in the summer. Now I am showing you the same area in the fall.

I think this is one area I have succeeded in getting right. I like that it is totally different each season - brilliant orange in spring, subdued pink/white in the summer, and bright yellows/purple in the fall.

It is a small area jam packed with flowers. I am amazed that they continue to bloom as well as they do, being planted almost on top of each other. This spot gets almost no additional water as my hose won't reach unless I put two together and the only time I will go to that trouble is in a severe drought. I weed it thoroughly in the spring and rarely thereafter. I do cut down the spent poppies, mallow and daisies as soon as they are finished to make room for whatever is coming next.

Right now it has black-eyed Susan, 'Annette's flower' (the yellow bush daisy), an aster or two, and, of course, Sedumn AJ.

I think this area looks pretty decent in all seasons with very little work on my part.

Here is a picture from the other direction so that you can see the full size of it.