SUMMER PLANTING FOR FALL FLOWERS

By Lisa Derx

Spring rushes past in a merry mix of planting seeds and plants, digging out weeds, and thinning perennials such as iris and daylilies. As June becomes July, the list of gardening tasks leans toward weeding and harvesting, which can make it easy to overlook planning and planting for fall flowers. Take time now, though, and you can be assured of a steady supply of flowers until first frost and beyond.

There are two key concepts to keep in mind in order to have a fall garden flush with flowers. The first is knowing the days to harvest for various flowers. The second is succession planting.

Each seed, bulb, or corm has a certain number of days it takes to grow and mature, known as “Days to Harvest.” This is often listed on the seed packet. If it isn’t on yours, you can check websites such as Johnny’s Seeds or Floret, both of which have extensive growing information on a wide variety of flowers. The Days to Harvest is a good guideline, although it never hurts to add a few days when you are calculating.

Once you have the days to harvest for the flowers you want to plant, it is easy to count back from our first frost. Here in the mid-Atlantic, that is usually mid-October. So, say you really want sunflowers by Oct. 15, and it is already July 15^th. Look for varieties that take 50 – 80 days to bloom, count back from Oct. 15, and that tells you when you need to plant that variety.

The other concept to keep in mind to ensure you have flowers all summer and fall is “Succession Planting.” Succession planting is for flower varieties that can thrive in a variety of growing conditions. If the days to harvest are fewer than 90, for instance, you can plant into mid-July and still enjoy blooms in mid-October. Make sure you pay attention to whether the flower prefers cooler days or can withstand the hot, humid conditions of the mid-Atlantic summer. 

With a little bit of research, you’ll find it easy to plant your fall garden. You’ll find it fun to choose colors to match the season, planting pinks and purples for early summer, but switching to orange, gold, and burgundy to suit the season.

Here’s a list of flowers that bloom well in fall after summer planting:

Ageratum – Ageratum is a real workhorse in the garden, blooming out bloom after bloom for months. Tall Blue Planet is a variety that blooms in 80 – 100 days, so there is still just enough time to plant.

Amaranth – Amaranth produces tall, full stems, some upright, some hanging, that make a real statement in the garden or arrangements. The height they can achieve is astonishing, when you consider they bloom in just 65 – 75 days. Hot Biscuits, Coral Fountain, and Red Spike are all easy to grow and dry well, too.

Celosia – this outstanding filler flower has some varieties such as the Sunday series that bloom in 85-95 days.

Cosmos – these floaty flower gives whimsy and movement to the garden and the vase. Available in a variety of colors, some ruffled and some plain, Cosmos blooms in 75 to 90 days.

Dill – Bouquet dill has long, strong stems, lacy flowers, and a delicious fragrance. Blooming in just 50 days, you can plant several times to ensure a steady supply.

Gladiolus – These tall flowers with multiple blooms per stem take 70 – 100 days from planting the bulb to flowers. Each variety has a specific number of days to bloom, so be sure to check that information for the colors you want. 

Marigolds – Why do kindergarten teachers use marigolds to teach their students about planting? Because they are so easy to grow! Blooming in about 70 days, and offering multiple blooms per plant, you can have a flourish of color from just a few seeds.

Sunflowers – Some of the newest hybrids offer colors other than the standard yellow with a dark center. Try Autumn Beauty, which takes 75-85 days to bloom, Pro-Cut Red takes 50-60 days; Chocolate, 65-70 days, or the classic Pro-Cut Horizon, 50-60 days.

Zinnias – Zinnias come now in a wide variety of forms and colors, with new specialty varieties such as Queen Lime and Ballerina offering sophisticated colors. The Oklahoma series offers beautiful colors in petite blooms, while State Fair produces large blooms in bright colors. All of these take 75-90 days from seed to flower.

Do you have a favorite fall flower? Tell me about it at [email protected].

Lisa Derx is a member of the American Daffodil Society, Membership Chair for the National Capital Dahlia Society, President of Chesapeake Flower Exchange, Local Flowers Liaison for the Independent Floral Designers Association, and a member of the Association of Specialty Cut Flowers and the Maryland Cut Flower Growers Association. Her home is in Dayton, Maryland, where she lives and grows flowers with her husband Dan and cat Sebastian.