Fall in Edmonton is a season full of bright, cheerful colours, and fall-blooming perennials are a big reason why! These resilient plants add vibrant bursts of seasonal character to any landscape, transforming your autumn gardens into warm, enchanting retreats. In this guide, we’ll explore some of our favourite fall perennials and why September is the ideal time to get them in the ground.
The Magic of Fall Perennials
Fall perennials are the hardy heroes of your Edmonton autumn garden, weaving a tapestry of colours and textures that breathe new life into your landscape. These are some of our designers’ top picks for achieving a show-stopping seasonal display this year:
Sedum: Known for its thick, fleshy leaves and clusters of star-shaped flowers, “Autumn Joy” sedum adds a unique texture to your fall garden. Its flowers, ranging from soft pinks to deep burgundies, attract pollinators and provide a late-season nectar source, making it one of the best perennials for fall planting. It’s also very low-maintenance, drought tolerant, and is a perfect candidate for borders or mass plantings.
Helenium: This cheerful perennial bursts into bloom in late summer and continues well into the fall. Helenium’s daisy-like flowers, in shades of yellow, orange, and red, create a warm and inviting atmosphere, making it a perfect choice for garden borders.
Boston Ivy: While often associated with classic brick walls, Boston ivy is a versatile plant that offers stunning fall colour when planted in full sun. Its leaves turn brilliant shades of red and purple, providing a dramatic backdrop in any garden setting.
Japanese Maple: A small tree with delicate, deeply lobed leaves, the Japanese maple is prized for its stunning fall foliage that turns vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow, making it a stunning focal point in any fall landscape.
Hydrangeas: Though they are often celebrated for their summer blooms, hydrangeas also add an understated beauty to fall gardens. Their flowers take on rich, dusky hues as the seasons change, adding depth and interest to your autumn landscape, and will often persist well into the winter giving some nice year round interest.
Virginia Creeper: This vigorous vine is a fall showstopper, with leaves that turn a vibrant crimson. Virginia creeper can be trained to climb trellises or allowed to spread across the ground, adding a splash of colour wherever it grows.
Designing Your Fall and Winter Landscape
Creating a garden that remains vibrant through the fall and into winter requires thoughtful planning and a touch of creativity. By using a few simple plant combinations, you can craft a landscape that’s both harmonious and dynamic, no matter the season. Here’s how:
Borders and Beds: Pair panicle hydrangeas like “Pinky Winky’ with helenium and ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum for a long lasting display of fall blooms that compliment each other and offer varying layers of texture and form.
Vertical Spaces: Boston ivy and Virginia creeper are ideal for adding vertical interest to your garden. Train these climbers on walls, fences, or trellises to create living tapestries that change with the seasons.
Seasonal Synergy: All the perennials we’ve shared so far complement each other in both colour and form, ensuring your garden remains visually appealing as the weather cools. The warm tones of helenium and the fiery foliage of Japanese maple create a cohesive palette, while the varied textures of sedum and bearberry add depth and complexity to your design.
Now Is the Time to Plant: Fall and Winter Garden Tips for Edmonton
Fall is often overlooked as a planting season, but it’s actually the best time to get your perennials in the ground! The cooler temperatures reduce stress on new plants, and the soil is still warm enough to encourage strong root development. Planting now helps your perennials establish themselves before winter sets in, giving them a head start next spring.
Stronger Roots: Fall planting allows perennials to focus on root growth rather than flowers and foliage, leading to stronger, more resilient plants. When spring arrives, these well-established perennials will be ready to burst forth with new growth and blooms.
Practical Tips: Before planting, prepare your soil by adding compost to improve drainage and fertility. When you’re ready to get your plants in the ground, ensure their roots are well spread in their planting hole and water thoroughly to help the plant settle in.
Nurturing Your Perennials Through Winter
Once you’ve chosen the right perennials for your landscape and gotten them in the ground, there’s still a little bit of work to be done. A little extra attention now and the proper winter care will ensure your plants survive the colder months ahead and come back thriving when spring returns. Here are a few tips to help you along the way:
Winter Care Essentials: Mulching is crucial for insulating your soil and protecting your plants’ roots from freezing temperatures. Apply a layer of mulch around the base of your perennials, but be careful not to cover the crown of your plants. We also recommend pruning any dead or damaged growth in the fall to prevent disease and pests from overwintering.
Watering: Even in the late season, it’s important to water your perennials during dry spells, especially evergreen perennials and those planted in the fall. Watering during the winter ensures your plants stay hydrated and healthy during their dormant period.
Fall is a time of change, and now is the perfect opportunity to plant fall-blooming perennials to liven up your garden with the colours and textures of the season. Visit us today to kickstart your fall landscape with a design consultation and see for yourself how magical a fall landscape can be!