Pretty Pansies
Many people forget what flowers can and cannot be planted in the fall. While I recommend planting all shrubs and trees (except ornamental grasses) in the fall or winter, I do not recommend planting spring flowers. Spring flowers include petunias, begonias, impatiens, etc. Those will die around the first frost!
There are a limited set of flowers that can be planted in the fall. The list goes like this…Pansies, Cabbage, Kale, and Mums. That is pretty much the extent of your choices for winter color. These plants, except the mum, will survive during the cold temperatures and will look fantastic in the early spring. Now, if you live in Michigan, I don’t know that these will survive. Ya’ll really get cold up there!! Mums on the other hand have a short window of color. They are great for a couple of weeks with one bloom cycle and then they go away. If you plant them in the ground, they usually will return in the spring, but not too slightly for the winter months.
As all seasonal color flowers, the pansies, cabbage and kale will die when it gets hot, so most people pull them up and replace them with spring flowers in the spring.
P.S. Late fall is the time to think about and plant your spring bulbs, i.e. Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths, etc. These will not give you winter color, but come March, you will be glad you did!!
Happy Flowers
#1 by Laura Ray on October 15, 2009 - 11:14 am
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Johnny Jump-ups are my fall favorite. They're so cheerful and easy and don't need dead-heading the way pansies do. Like you said, I don't know what Michigan folks can do, but they are wonderful here all winter in SC.
#2 by andreaartchallenge on September 28, 2010 - 6:22 am
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Hey Kevin- What about peonies? I know they do not bloom until spring but do I plant them now so they will?
Thanks!
#3 by KevinPigg on September 28, 2010 - 6:32 am
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Yes, You can plant Peony bulbs now. They will root out and stay dormant until spring.
#4 by Faye Cripps on October 2, 2010 - 9:03 am
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Kevin, I bought several pots of Day Lily's at your Garden Center during the summer. I didn't, however, put them in the ground as I probably should have. Now it is Fall and I'm not sure what to do with them. Do I plant them or leave them in the pots and move them into the garage for the winter??? I really hate to lose them since they had such beautiful blooms. Thanks, Kevin
#5 by KevinPigg on November 9, 2010 - 11:21 am
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Go ahead and plant them. They should be just fine.
#6 by Sim on September 18, 2011 - 7:34 am
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Those are one of my favorite flowers, thanks for this very useful information.
#7 by Jennifer on September 22, 2011 - 7:40 pm
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Last year I planted cabbage and kale to add life to my gardens during the fall season. I always keep mums in a planter but I wanted more. They did quite well and everyone who visited complimented the look. The purple cabbage was really beautiful and hardy. My mom has Montauk daisies and they thrive right up until October or November, depending on the weather. I might add them to my own garden this year.
#8 by electronics from chi on October 17, 2011 - 6:07 am
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Hi there
Those are one of my favorite flowers, thanks for this very useful information.
Thanks
Ted