A different approach to traditional fall gardening
OCTOBER 10, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY BETTY WIEST
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Fall is a fabulous time for plantings in your perennial garden. But are you tired of the mums, asters, cabbage and kale that seem to flood the landscape? OK, there are many instances that these plants are rightfully engaging whether used singly for or massed. They are reliable and last fairly long into the fall season. Depending on the weather, kale/cabbage can last well into January.
There are several other outstanding plants noted for their performance in the waning months of the year. Here are some of my favorites:
Montauk daisies are at the top of my list for fall color. I rank them as a superb plant with its pure white petals, yellow center and shiny thick waxy leaves. Montauk daisies are herbaceous perennials and confirm to the “classic” daisy look similar to Shasta daisies. Taxonomists have decided (after the third try) to currently classify it Nipponanthemum nipponicum. You can find it in Montauk, Long Island but it is indigenous to Japan and a plant of China. It is happiest when grown in full sun. It can grow to a height of 3 feet, but I discovered that if you pinch it back around July 1 (or remember by the 4th of July), the stems will not get so leggy. This past growing season I managed to pinch back a large mass of them on my front walkway; another smaller section by my driveway was not pinched back (I just forgot). The plants by the walkway are looking real good with strong stems and plenty of blooms; the ones by the driveway are long and leggy, spilling out onto the drive and making for fine footwork trying to avoid them when I get out of the car. Montauk daisies can withstand frost; freezing temperatures will brown the leaves and ruin the flowers.
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