Perennials for Autumn Planting

Autumn is one of my favourite times to be in the garden. The turning autumn leaves provide the perfect backdrop to the colour of the cutting garden. The plants are heavy with flowers and the cooler air makes a day spent outside a pleasure. April provides us with:

• hundreds, even thousands, of dahlia flowers,
• a final flush of big, scented roses,
• and fat buds on the heirloom chrysanthemums, unfurling in a kaleidoscope of colours quite unlike anything else we have experienced throughout the year.

That would be more than enough however gardening is never quite so simple. We're always looking ahead to the next season and the next set of sourcing, planting and tending jobs.

Multi-tasking at its finest and best. I personally find nothing more positive than planning my future garden and searching out some exciting new additions.

In our warm climate, Autumn is the best time to sow seed and plant perennials.

What is a 'perennial'?

The term 'perennial' refers to a plant that survives more than 3 growing seasons. I think of them as long term members of the garden. This term can be split into:

• 'woody perennials' - shrubs and trees
• 'herbaceous perennials' - those with fleshier stems which either continuously renew or which go dormant and then regrow (usually dormant over winter and reappearing in spring).

Autumn is the best time to get plants in the ground so they can put down good root systems over the cooler months. This will make them much more able to withstand sudden hot spring days. Wait until spring to plant 'tender' or 'half-hardy' plants as they can be killed by frost or cooler temperatures. 

We typically grow annuals from seed and buy in perennials as young plants. This is a bit more expensive but the time saved makes it a worthwhile trade.

The following herbaceous perennials make great cut flowers and can be planted in autumn. Remember to water in dry periods even if the weather is cool.

Perennials for Hot, Sunny, Drier Spaces

• Alstromeria (peruvian lily) flower for months and months and come in a variety of foliage and flower colours. The trumpet shape is useful in arrangements. Look for tall cultivars. 
  Harvest stems by pulling them out of the ground rather than cutting. The clumps can be divided every few years. I like to pick the flowers before they have opened (so earlier than in the photo) for a good 10-14 days vase life.

  Digiplexis (a perennial resulting from a cross with a foxglove and an isoplexis) flowers for 8 months of the year). Great in dry, hot conditions.

• Eucomis or Pineapple lily (the tall spike flower in the vase on the chair) have fun, pineapple tops and are loved by bees. Very long lasting vase life and fun for something different. Grow in full sun to part shade and leave them to settle in as they don't love being moved.

• Limonium sinuatum (a perennial, fine statice known as misty or fairy statice) is growing for the first year on the flower farm. I love it as a more delicate airy filler compared to perennial Gypsophilla (which also deserves a place on this list). Both are hard to find but worth keeping an eye out for.

• Sea Holly (Eryngium) or if you have more space Echinops (globe thistle) are some of my favourite blue flowers and are equally good dried. They need well drained soil to avoid root rot. On the flower farm we also grow some white forms, the wonderfully named 'Miss Wilmott's Ghost' and 'White Glitter' which are lovely in white arrangements when you need some texture.
• Ageratum (perennial form) is another great plant and has soft fluffy lilac-blue flowers. We only grow the perennial form although you can grow the annual from seed.
  

• Dusty miller
  has a soft furry leaf coating which is a sign the plant is adapted to grow in hot dry conditions. I love using this in sherbet toned arrangements as the leaves provide support for the flowers without adding in the darker green tones of so many other foliages.
• Lamb's Ears and Artemesia 
  are also great options. When selecting, make sure the variety is tall and not a ground cover or creeping variety.

Perennials for Shadier Spaces

• Astilbe delight each year as they appear in a rather ignored
  
   corner of my shade house. In the garden, I'd plant them under the gentle shade of a tree but in the open field of the flower farm, this structure is my only option. The feathery plume shaped flowers make up for the slightly shorter stem length.
• Astrantia are another great option and can be grown from seed. They are pretty when dried.
• And finally, Aquilegia or Granny's Bonnets grow in sun to part shade and make surprisingly good cut flowers especially if you find the double form. I grew these from seed as often the garden centre varieties are shorter.
  

I hope this list of a few of my favourite perennials gives you some ideas for your cutting garden. There are lots more suggestions in Secrets from the Flower Farm.

Many of the photos in this post and throughout my website are taken by the talented Christopher Morrison.

Wishing you an enjoyable autumn in your garden.

Rebecca