Exciting New Perennials for Fall Planting

Fall is a great time to plant flowering perennials. They will be established before winter and ready for a great bloom next spring and summer. Here are a few new flowering perennials that caught our eye.

Dianthus gratianopoliatanus 'Feuerhexe' (also know a 'Firewitch') is the 2006 Perennial Plant of the Year. It bears an abundance of wonderfully clove-scented, purplish pink flowers above a tight mat of silvery gray foliage. The plant grows about 3 inches high and 6 to 8 inches wide. It grows best in full sun or light shade and is hardy to USDA zone 3. 'Feuerhexe' is an excellent edging, container. Plant or rock garden subject.

Echinacea 'Coneflowers' are now available in a wonderful range of new colors and flower forms. Look for 'Pixie Meadowbrite,' a dwarf form (1-1/2 ft. tall) with pink, nondrooping petals around a yellow center. 'Mango Meadowbrite' (2–3 ft. tall) bears light orange-yellow petals around orange-brown centers. 'Orange Meadowbrite' reaches a similar height and bears reddish orange flowers. In the Big Sky series (2–3 ft. tall) you'll find butter-yellow 'Sunrise,' bright orange 'Sunset,' and reddish-orange 'Sundown.' 'White Lustre' (2-1/2 ft. tall) and 'White Swan' (1-1/2–2 ft. tall) have white petals around orange-yellow cones. Coneflowers are tough plants that grow best in full sun and are hardy to USDA zone 4.

Carex 'Sedges' are grass-like plants that add beautiful texture to landscapes and containers. Newer ones include 'Ice Dance,' which grows 1–2 ft. high, with dark green leaves edged with white. C. oshimensis 'Evergold' is a similar height but has dark green leaves with a central, creamy white stripe that fades to yellow. C. phyllocephala 'Sparkler' is a showstopper that forms a 1–2 ft. clump; red stems are topped with bright green leaves, striped white. White fall flowers look like small candles, fading to brown as they dry. 'Sparkler' and 'Evergold' are hardy to USDA zone 7. 'Ice Dance' is hardy into zone 5. Sedges generally grow best in full sun or light shade but 'Evergold' grows best in shady areas.

Get your fall-planted perennials off to a great start by fertilizing with Bayer Advanced™ Triple Action All Purpose Plant Food Granules, which provides balanced nutrition for up to three months. To protect plants from insects, use Bayer Advanced™ Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer Concentrate. It kills insects on contact and provides up to 30 days of systemic protection.

Fall is for Planting

Whether you're working on a whole new landscape or just sprucing up one small part of the garden, fall is a great time for planting. On the Bayer Advanced Web site, there's a wealth of information to help you on your way to a beautiful, healthy lawn and garden. Check out the video tips on shrub care hosted by Lance Walheim where you'll find out the advantages of using quality organic matter. You'll also find out how to protect your new plantings from insects for up to 12 months by applying Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Insect Control Concentrate this fall.

Ground Covers for Deep Shade

It's hard to grow almost any plant in dense shade. In addition to the lack of light, there’s intense competition for water and nutrients from tree roots. Still, some plants are better adapted to these conditions than others. If you are looking for some ground covers for shady conditions this planting season, here are some of the best:

• Barronwort (Epimedium species), USDA zones 4–9
• Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), zones 3–6
• Cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior), zones 8–10
• English ivy (Hedera helix), zones 4–11
• Ferns, zones vary
• Hostas, zones 3–9
• Lilies-of-the-valley (Convallaria majis), zones 3–9
• Pachysandra, zones 4–9
• Sweet woodruff (Galium odaratum), zones 5–9
• Wild ginger (Asarum species)

Colorful Foliage Shrubs for Shady Areas

One of the best ways to lighten up shady gardens is to put in plants with white to cream variegated. Shrubs to look for include Hydrangea macrophylla 'Tricolor' (USDA zone 6), one of the variegated flowering maples such a 'Savitzii' (zone 9), Euonymus 'Emerald Gaiety' (zone 5), Cornus alba 'Elegantissima' (zone 2), Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Irene Paterson' or P. tobira 'Variegata' (both zone 9), Daphne ordora 'Marginata' (zone 7), Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Variegatus' (zone 7) or 'Viburnum tunus' Variegatum' (zone 8).

Check with your local nursery to see which plants grow best in your area and how much shade they can take. To protect plants from insects, use Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Insect Control Concentrate. One application will protect plants for up to one year.