Fall is upon us, and while fall leaf color may not be as spectacular here on the coast as it is in the mountains where all the leaves seem to change at the same time, setting the mountains ablaze with color, we can add color in the form of flowers other plants that can be planted either in the ground or in containers. Here are some ideas of colorful plants that can be purchased at local garden centers.

Pansies and Violets (Viola sp.) – These flowers provide a wide array of colors for garden or colorful container gardens. They are low growing plants that produce large to medium sized flowers in full sun to partial shade. The flowers come in a wide variety of colors and can be a good way to show school spirit by planting school colors in a flower bed or in a large container garden. These colorful flowers are also edible, although it may be a good idea to wait a few weeks after planting them at home before adding them to salads, to allow any pesticides that may have been applied at the nursery to wear off or fall off as the new flowers shouldn’t be affected.

Snapdragon / Image: Dina Murray

Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) – These plants produce large spikes of flowers in a wide range of colors. They bloom best when planted in well-drained, moist soil or containers in full sun to partial shade. In our area they will bloom in the fall, then off and on through the winter, with another flush of flowers in the spring. They are considered a short-lived perennial plant, but are often treated as an annual flower to make room for summer color. The flower is edible although it is bitter to the taste so it is often used as a garnish on the plate. The tall spikes of flower can also be used as cut flowers to decorate inside.

Ornamental Cabbage

Ornamental Cabbage, Ornamental Kale (Brassica oleracea cultivars) – are known for their colorful foliage that can also be edible. They come in variations of green with white, pink, and shades of purple available. They will show color throughout the colder months around here. In the springtime, they bolt producing large racemes of yellow flowers. Most often they are removed from the garden before the flowers are produced, as the more ornamental part of the plant is the colorful leaves.

Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris Leaf Beet Group) – Swiss Chard is often considered a vegetable to be grown in a garden along with other vegetables. It would seem a shame not to show off the colorful petioles (leaf stems) of this plant in a more ornamental setting. As noted in the name, this plant is closely related to the garden beets, but they do not produce the swollen roots of these close relatives. The tall leaves with the colorful petioles are very showy in the garden and provide something different to be admired in the garden. As the plants fill out, some of the leaves can be harvested and cooked to add a colorful addition to the dinner table. They are best grown in full sun to partial shade and do well in our soils with neutral to slightly alkaline pH and are often drought tolerant. They are a biennial plant, which means they can last for up to 2 years in the garden before they bolt (send up flower shoots).

Dianthus / Image: Dina Murray

Dianthus (Dianthus) – There are several species of Dianthus. Some are perennial plants while others are shorter lived and treated as annuals. Sweet William and Grass Pinks are often sold as annual plants that can be planted and grown in cooler months to produced pink flowers. There are others such as border carnations and cottage pinks that make excellent evergreen ground covers with grayish green leaves and flowers that appear in the fall, spring and sometime in the winter as well. The perennial varieties can be planted along the border of the garden to provide low growing color in the spring and fall. These plants also do well in our neutral to slightly alkaline soils, and can be grown in full sun to partial shade.

Mums (Chrysanthemum)

Mums (Chrysanthemum) – These are often sold this time of the year to add a big pop of flower color to the porch or fall decorations. Some of them will come back year after year, while others prefer more organic soils than what we have, so they do better in containers. These garden mums flower for about two weeks before their flowers fade and they are finished for the season. If these are desired for color, purchase them just before the big pop of color is needed. If they are then added to the perennial garden, consider that they may not do well in our area, but if they do come back they may bloom at a different time then when they were purchased to bloom, but they will be consistent in blooming each year around the same time.

Lantana / Image: Dina Murray

Lantana (Lantana sp.) – Although more known for its summer blooms, they will often bloom right up until frost in most areas. Here along the coast, it will often die all the way to the ground and then sprout again from the roots in the spring as the weather warms. These plants are very drought tolerant, but may become somewhat weedy if left unattended. The flowers will attract butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden.

There are many other plants that can be added to the garden for colorful flowers or leaves during the fall of the year. Look around and see what can be found. The ones listed in this article are often available in garden centers in our area.