Ahh fall... Our summer flowers are fading, and autumn colors are reintroducing themselves. Can anyone say, "road trip"? Heading north you'll find plenty of color change already.
Another lovely thing about fall are the late bloomers like Asters & Agastache. I looked up how to pronounce Agastache. Let me count the ways:
1. Ah guh stash (personally never heard that one before)
2. Ah guh stash kee
3. Ah guh stack ee
4. AG hu stock ee (this one is on 2 sites)
The 4th version is the one I've used for decades. But there are 2 common names: Anise Hyssop which is pronounced Anise, like the spice, then Hiss up or Hiss op and Blue giant hyssop, referring to the native plant.
Our Midwest native plant's Latin name is Agastache foeniculum. There are 5 other native species in the United States, and they all have common names that include the word "mint". ALL of them are pollinator magnets attracting butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. Take a peek at the activity in this 'Blue Fortune' video. 'Blue Fortune' grows to 3 ft x 3 ft. They bloom from early summer to late fall.
And then there are Asters! 'Sky Blue' is a Minnesota native, as is the New England aster you see pictured.
Yes, I love asters! Most grow up to about 4 ft, however, the 'Woods Blue' aster remains about 2 ft tall while the pink New England variety I have in the photo above has grown to over 5 ft tall. They all love full sun but also do just fine with part sun. They're drought tolerant too. However, I will mention that during periods of drought their stems have a tendency to brown.
Fall is really a great time to plant perennials, shrubs and trees. They have time to establish roots and the cooler air helps them acclimate better and your plants get a jumpstart for next year. One caveat is that you must be dilligent about watering your new plants right up until the ground freezes. I mean that literally!
Here's to bonfires & flannel shirts,
The Garden Scoop