As the cool, fall weather begins to settle in for the year, most gardening tools find themselves back at home – hanging on their hooks in the garage. After all, those garden beds we all spent so much time and energy maintaining are surely going to lose their color in just a few weeks. Right?

Just because summer is wrapping up doesn’t mean an there will soon be an end to the beauty of your gardens! Fall flowers are the perfect way to keep your gardens and landscaping looking beautiful and lively throughout the autumn months. There is a large variety of late-blooming perennials and annuals that are able to take on light frost and cooler temperatures.

Zoning

Because of the large variation in climates in the United States, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for approaching fall gardening. After all, some states experience year-long growth, and some experience winters quite detrimental to plant growth. Because of this reality, the United States has a “Hardiness Zone Map” that categorizes the lower 48 states into 9 “Zones” – each by their lowest average temperatures. Southern states like Florida fall in zones 8-10, while Midwestern states fall between 4 and 6.

So, what does this mean? When picking out fall flowers, you will often times see markings on your plants that will tell you which zone they are recommended for. You know, on those little paper markers that you usually throw away or leave in the pot forever?

Iowa falls into Zone 5, which means that any plant that falls in a higher zone may not be accustomed to our colder climate.

What are my options?

Selecting flowers to ensure year-long blooming in your gardens is no easy task, but we have a list of our recommended easy-care perennials and annuals that are beautiful and hearty against cooler temperatures.

Perennials

  • Nippon Daisy
  • Goldenrod
  • Joe Pye Weed
  • Helenium
  • Oriental Lily
  • Chrysanthemum (Mums)
  • Japanese Anemone
  • Aster
  • Balloon Flower
  • Sedum

Annuals

  • Snapdragons
  • Pansies
  • Dianthus
  • Croton
  • Ornamental Peppers
  • Flowering Kale
  • Ornamental Cabbage
  • Sweet Alyssum
  • Begonias
  • Petunias
  • Nasturtium
  • Celosia
  • Calendula

 Still Need Help?

 Norwalk Seasonal Services is here to help! Don’t hesitate to reach out by giving us a call or sending us a message. We are excited to assist you through a free consultation.