October

I’ve spent 35 years pushing the limits of bloom time in my gardens. Little gems like Cyclamen hederifolium (top of page) are a gentle reminder of the beauty that still exists in the October garden. Much of what was blooming in September continues to bloom beautifully this month! Every one of my gardens still has something in bloom that will help to sustain our native bees until they seek cover and winter habitat in a few weeks.

Now is a great time to look for ‘pockets of opportunity’ in your own garden. This time of year, foliage is King! Grasses and ferns add textural interest as well as over-wintering habitat for beneficial insects. Even the dahlias and zinnias that I grew last spring from seed continue to offer sustenance to beetles and bees. Some blooms are riddled with holes from beetles, but the bumblebees still find caches of pollen and nectar to carry to their underground nests.

I love the sedum ‘Autumn Fire’ which demonstrates a much better, tidier, habit than the older cultivar ‘Autumn Joy’ that requires support to prevent splaying and flopping. My all-time favorite Salvia guaranitica ‘Amistad’ that was a tiny 3” cutting when planted in May now towers to almost five feet by 4 feet. It’s been blooming since late May and continues to be a hang-out for bees and the hummingbirds that continue to pass through on their way south. It’s a tender perennial for our zone 6, so I’ve once again taken more cuttings and will grow them on to replant next spring. It’s one of the plants that I simply can not live without!

Perhaps you have an area of non-native invasives that could be eradicated and replaced with one or more of these to give you more beauty and beneficial habitat next year!