Blossoms in September
Marion Jacobi
From the Fall 2007
Issue of Applaud Magazine

Many people believe that once the dog days of summer have passed and Labor Day has come and gone, that the flowers are gone too.  Actually, some of the nicest flowers are late summer and fall bloomers!  Create cut flower arrangements and extend that summer feeling even as the days grow shorter. You may be familiar with some of these plants, and others may be new to you, but all are spectacular in the garden or on your table.  There are so many different foliage colors and textures, such as Heuchera (Coral Bells) in shades of burgundy with variegated leaves, and Pulmonaria (Lungwort) with its fuzzy green, white polka dotted leaves. While Heucheras and Pulmonarias are better suited to nosegay bouquets, two burgundy leafed plants that are spectacular in cut flower arrangements are Eupatorium Chocolate (Joe Pye Weed) and Actaea or Cimicifuga Pink Spike (BugBane/Snake root).  Actaea has a wonderful burgundy maple-like leaf.  It has extremely fragrant pink “bottle-brush” flowers in August, but the foliage is outstanding throughout the growing season.  The leaves of Eupatorium Chocolates are both green and chocolaty purple all at the same time, but when October rolls around the real excitement begins.  The plant is then covered in white button-like blooms that remind me of Blue Ageratum.  Monarch butterflies adorn the plant as they begin their migratory patterns to warmer climates.  Enhance your  cut flower arrangements by adding ornamental grasses in the Miscanthus series -- specifically the Sarabande or Morning Light grasses, which twist and curl at their tops as the grasses dry out.  The grasses are also lovely with dried Hydrangea and Sedum Autumn Joy arrangements for a bit of unique fall interest.   Try combining the same grasses in a vase with cut dahlias, which are usually in full bloom in early fall.  Add a few other plants which may be blooming in your yard, such as fall mums, Nippoanthemum (Montauk Daisy) which resembles a Shasta daisy, but blooms from September into November, or Japanese Anemone (Windflower), which blooms from September through October in shades of pink and white.  Another favorite are stems of Caryopteris (Blue Mist Shrub) with its silvery gray leaves and blue to purple flowers blooming late summer into fall.   Even if you don’t have any of these particular flowers in your yard (you can plant them now for next year’s arrangements) you can add a bit of punch to the grocery store arrangements by going out into the yard and adding variegated foliage from iris or hosta.  Maybe you can even fool your friends into believing that you created the bouquet yourself from plants grown in your own yard! Marion Jacobi, The Divine Gardener loves decorating her house after the growing season has gone by.  She has worked with homeowners in NH for over 7 years, helping them to beautify their yards and increase their curb appeal.   She can be reached at 626-7729 or at DivineGardener@comcast.net.