Gardening
Gerald Filipski
Fall Colour
On shopping trips in the fall , I always notice that many of the garden centres , and even some of the big box grocery stores , start stocking their fall plants . To me , that ’ s always a good sign because it means I can extend my growing season .
Chrysanthemums can be the backbone of any fall garden . The primary colours of mums are bronze , orange , red , yellow , pink , white , purple , and lavender . Because mums have been so hybridized over the years , there is now a dazzling array of colours to choose from . They also come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes ranging from a few centimetres to more than a metre in height , and from mounds to tall spires .
The flowers themselves come in interesting forms such as buttons , spiders , pompoms , daisies , spoons , anemones , singles , doubles , and semi-doubles . The flowers are borne well above the foliage , which means that the colours are front and centre and create a blast of colour that looks great in any type of garden . A visit to your local greenhouse or even supermarket will provide a good
selection of mums . Some form a neat mound , a metre wide , that looks as if it has been pruned with manicure scissors . The colours describe fall itself with bronzes , deep reds , and oranges . Choose a favourite pot to transplant them into or simply place the nursery container into your favourite pot for an instant showpiece . However , they look so good already that you can also simply leave them in their original pot . To keep your mums happy , put them in a sunny exposure and make sure the pot is well-draining with several drainage holes ; they do not like to have their feet wet . They also do not like to dry out , so keep the soil moist but not damp . Mums are remarkably hardy and may survive several frosts that would do in many other plants . Asters also come in a wide variety of colours but are mainly in the pastel range , including pale lavenders , whites , pinks — and even some reds — and have delicate daisylike flowers . Their pastel colours blend very well with the bold fall colours of the mums . The foliage adds interest with its feathery appearance . These plants can grow from 30 centimetres to 1 metre tall . If the asters are not mature , pinch back the growth a few centimetres to encourage a bushy plant with more blooms . Asters also prefer a sunny spot with moist , but not overly damp soil . They will also survive frosts better than many plants .
While asters and mums are the perfect fall
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