Fall's Late Bloomers

It's a shame that many gardeners seem to think the season for color is over once the Fall months arrive - they store away all their tools, sit back and watch their garden turn into a wasteland. It's not quite Winter yet, so why would you do that to the garden you've tenderly tended to all year long? With just a bit of planning (and a little more work in the Spring), your Fall garden can become a spectacular display of deep purples, scarlets, rusts, and golds. And we're not just talking about flowers here. Expand that mind...think shrubs, vines, grasses, and other foliage! They can add just as much color to your garden and most with not as much work as you might think. To get you started, I've listed out some of the most popular Fall flowers, vines, grasses, and shrubs (these lists are by no means inclusive!):

• Flowers: Chrysanthemum, Marigold, Joe Pye Weed, Aster
• Vines: Virginia Creeper, Canary Creeper, Clematis, Boston Ivy
• Grasses: Blue Oat Grass, Japanese Forest Grass, Ruby Grass, Red Hood Sedge
• Shrubs: Blue Mist Shrub, Barberry, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Heavenly Bamboo

And check out these sites for more Fall Gardening wisdom:

• Fall Color Garden Plan @ BHG
• Planning for a Great Fall Garden @ About.com
• Fall Gardening @ DoItYourself.com
• Fall Gardening @ HGTV