Garden Fall: The plan for the wild garden fall is smaller than the others in this book. Wildflowers are never quite as grandiose as the plants used in a typical garden fall or herbaceous border. They need a more intimate setting.
This plot is designed for a corner of a property and asks that a deciduous tree—here a Japanese maple—be included for open shade during the hot summer. A birdbath is provided since birds and wild-flowers go together. Stepping stones should be in the plan so you can walk directly into the garden fall to see the flowers close-up. Bloom will begin in early spring and continue into the fall.
I never like disturbing the formal border for the addition of dahlias (Dahlia spp.) or gladiolus (Gladiolus x gandavensis), and I hate the rush of digging them up on the fall after only the tops are burned by the frost (in my continuing effort to keep the garden fall orderly). But the informality of the cutting garden fall allows for the used look of dying leaves, giving us until early November to remove tubers and corms to a box for winter storage. |
