The so-called Indian Summer comes up trumps with a true color spectacle, blossoms, fruits and leaves in bright colors, in red, orange and pink shine in competition. Of course, you need the right plants for this. In the garden, the flowers are supported by brightly colored trees and grasses also impress with their appearance. On the balcony, the flowers are mostly on their own and have to act on their own, no problem.
Table of Contents
List of popular autumn flowers
Of course, it is a matter of taste which flowers each of us perceive to be the most beautiful. I asked around once in my neighborhood and among my friends and the result was this list.
Autumn anemones, monkshood, chrysanthemums, autumn asters, dahlias, common heather, sedum hens, gladioli, marigolds, various sunflowers, autumn cyclamen, October saxifrage and many more. I present three of the autumn flowers in more detail and have summarized the most beautiful varieties for me. I have also put some matching garden plants at the end of the text. Autumn flowers only really work in combination.
Dahlien (Dahlia)
are magical autumn flowers. They convince with their great flowers in many colors, shapes and sizes. They are ideal for the perennial bed, but they also look good in the tub. A distinction is made between single-flower dahlias with an open center, frill dahlias, water lily dahlias, pompom dahlias, ball dahlias, cactus dahlias, semi-cactus dahlias, peony-flowered and anemone-flowered dahlias, deer antler dahlias, historical dahlias, wild dahlias and decorative dahlias , also called decorative dahlias.
Dahlias are easy to care for and straightforward. The varied, permanent bloomer is an indispensable part of the gardens between July and October. Dahlias go very well with grasses such as Chinachilf, riding grass or whistle grass, with summer flowers such as snapdragons, zinnias, mussel flowers or summer asters and with perennials such as daylilies, phlox or coneflowers.
maintenance
Dahlias like a sunny spot. The more shady they are, the longer the stems and the weaker the flowers become. A sheltered place is ideal so that it does not blow the flowers apart. A place in front of a radiating wall is unfavorable, it gets too hot. The soil should be loose and slightly damp. It is important that it is permeable and rich in nutrients. Dahlias don’t like loamy soil.
Dahlia bulbs need to be replanted every year. They are placed in the garden floor after the ice saints. Before that, however, they can be preferred in a bucket in the house. But you don’t have to. The earlier you start, the earlier the dahlias will bloom. Should they bloom late, not prefer them! Soak tubers in water for a few hours before planting. Insert about a hand’s breadth. It is ideal to incorporate good compost and horn shavings when planting.
It only has to be poured if the drought persists or if it is kept in a bucket. Do not pour it on the leaves, it promotes fungal diseases! Only fertilize when planting, otherwise the dahlias will be too bulky and susceptible to diseases. Never use mineral fertilizers! You don’t have to cut, only what has faded is removed. It is beneficial to support the plants so that they do not fall apart.
Since dahlias are not hardy, the tubers must be removed from the ground in autumn. The stems are cut off at a height of 20 cm. Carefully remove the tubers from the ground with a digging fork. Let dry for several days. Overwinter tubers frost-free, but in a cool place, at 4 to 10 ° C. Balanced humidity is important. Under no circumstances should it be too high. Then it is better to store the tubers in boxes with sand!
Nice varieties: Dahlia
- ‘Kaiser Wilhelm’ – ball dahlia with approx. 10 cm large yellow-pink flowers, the oldest German variety still available
- ‘Verdi’ – 60 cm high, dark red petals with large white tips unfold from the green center.
- ‘Alpen Diamond’ – Frill Dahlia, pastel-colored pink flower
- ‘Summertime’ – simple, bright lemon-yellow flowers with dark red foliage
- ‘Night Butterfly’ – frill dahlia with mysterious dark red, velvety flowers with a light frill
- ‘Caribbean Fantasy’ – semi-cactus dahlia with beautiful flowers in dark red and white
- ‘Clair Obscure’ – Dekasplit flower, new flower shape, beautiful color in dark pink with white tips
- ‘Fraureuth’ – semi-cactus dahlia with 14 cm large flowers in salmon pink
- ‘Alexander Voit’ – semi-cactus dahlia with up to 20 cm large flowers in dark pink with a yellow background
- ‘HGWinkler’ – semi-cactus dahlia with up to 18 cm orange-yellow flowers
Chrysanthemen (Chrysanthenum)
are actually the classic autumn flowers. They are available in all sizes, which is why you can find short ones for the balcony box, slightly higher ones for the planter and really high ones, sometimes over a meter, for the garden. Some cultivated forms are only annual and are mostly used for balconies, but many chrysanthemums are also hardy. The flower colors range from white and yellow, through pink and red to two- and multi-colored flowers. There is something for every taste.
maintenance
Chrysanthemums are very easy to care for flowers. They like a bright location, but not direct midday sun. Morning and evening sun are well tolerated. A sheltered location is recommended for long-stemmed varieties. Garden or potting soil is completely sufficient for the plants. Compost soil, nicely rich in humus, is ideal. It is important that the substrate is permeable to water but can also absorb enough moisture.
Chrysanthemums are ideally planted in spring. So they can grow well until winter and usually survive it undamaged. They are set as deep as they were in the pot. A support rod or ring is recommended for higher grades. Watering and fertilizing are necessary for abundant flowering. Persistent drought is harmful, as is waterlogging. Balcony plants are fertilized with long-term fertilizers or normal flowering plant fertilizers. Planted chrysanthemums get a good ration of compost in the spring. Organic vegetable fertilizer is also beneficial.
The flowers do not have to be cut, only what has faded has to be removed. Otherwise, you only cut off the shoots about a hand high above the ground in autumn after they have withered away. A tip is to cut back the chrysanthemums by about half when they are about 50 cm high. This improves their stability. The flower formation is only slightly delayed.
Most of the chrysanthemums in the garden are sufficiently hardy. It is, however, a good idea to cover them with a little brushwood. It’s different in window boxes and pots. These must be set up very protected. It is also a good idea to pack the vessels and place them on styrofoam sheets. The bale should be kept slightly moist. Boxes can also be overwintered in the basement or garage at around 5 ° C. Don’t forget to pour!
Nice varieties
Chrysanthemum flowers have different shapes, similar to dahlias. A distinction is made between large and small, simple, semi-double and double flowers. There are also pompon-flowered, spider-shaped and anemone-flowered varieties. Crossing always creates new varieties.
Chrysanthenum
- ‘Goldmarie’ – semi-double golden yellow flowers. Blooms from the end of August. Height of growth 60 to 80 cm, hardy
- ‘Kleiner Bernstein’ – half-double, apricot-colored to yellow-brown flowers, flowering time October / November, height 80 cm
- ‘Mei-Kyo’ – ponpon-like purple-pink flowers. Flowering period September to October, stature height 50 to 60 cm
- ‘Fellbacher Wein’ – semi-double, bright wine-red flowers, flowering time September / October, height of growth 70 cm
- ‘Nebelrose’ – silver-pink double flowers, very beautiful variety and very hardy, flowering period October / November, height of growth 80 cm
- ‘Ordensstern’ – double golden bronze-colored flowers. Particularly long flowering time from August to November, good winter hardiness, height 90 cm
- ‘Salmon Red Cloud’ – double, muted red flowers. Particularly hardy and very robust, 80 cm tall.
- ‘White Bouquet’ – white pompom flower, flowering time September to October, height of growth 80 to 110 cm
- ‘Schwabenstolz’ – double, dark red flower, flowering time September / October, height of growth 60 to 80 cm
- ‘Hebe’ – delicate purple-colored, simple flowers, flowering period October to November, height of growth 70 cm, looks very natural.
Herbstanemonen (Anemone hupehensis)
are wonderfully graceful perennials. They are also true long-term bloomers. There are many varieties with different colored flowers and different heights. The flower colors of the autumn anemones range from white to pale pink to bright pink. Autumn anemones go very well with autumn monkshood and a wide variety of grasses. Even with dahlias, tone on tone, they are an eye-catcher. The anemones have delicate, smaller flowers, and dahlias beautiful large ones, a good combination.
maintenance
Autumn anemones are best planted in spring. However, they are only available in stores in autumn. If you then plant them, it can happen that they do not survive the winter. You absolutely need protection from the cold! The ideal location is sunny to partially shaded. A sheltered place is ideal. White varieties also do well in shadier corners. The plant substrate should be rich in nutrients and well drained. Autumn anemones prefer slightly moist soil. They are also well suited for planters and can easily be propagated from seeds. What they don’t like is root pressure, standing moisture and root competition.
White varieties need a lot of fertilizer and need regular watering. Pink varieties are a little less sensitive to drought but should also be watered regularly. Any that has faded must be removed unless seeds are desired. The plants can be multiplied better by division than by seeds. If you want to keep the blooming splendor from July to late autumn, you have to make sure when buying the variety that you choose both early and late blooming ones.
Caution! The autumn anemone tends to run wild. It likes to spread, especially on clay soil.
Nice varieties. Anemone hupehensis
- ‘Overture’ – light pink flowers, purple-pink underside, flowers from July to September, abundant and stable, 80 to 110 cm high
- ‘Praecox’ – two petals in a dark magenta tone, compact growth, abundant flowering from July to the end of September, 60 to 80 cm high
- ‘September charm’ – ruffled and silk-pink shimmering flowers, semi-double and very delicate looking, about 70 cm high.
- ‘Whirlwind’ – white, often propeller-like twisted inner petals, very durable variety, also suitable for vase cutting, about 80 cm high.
Anemone japonica
- ‘Margarete’ – pink-red, semi-double flower cups, very richly blooming, about 70 cm high
- ‘Bowles Purple’ – pink and purple flower bowl, single flower, very delicate looking, about 70 cm high
- ‘Bressingham Glow’ – double flowers in dark pink, remains small, about 60 cm high
- ‘Rotkäppchen’ – dark, chimney-red, bowl-like flowers, low cultivar, very bushy growing, flowers from August to October, about 60 cm high
- ‘Queen Charlotte’ – historical variety, semi-double pink flowers, tinted purple on the outside, flowers from August to October, 60 to 90 cm high
- ‘Rosenschale’ – large-flowered variety, dark pink petals, tinted darker on the reverse, flowering September / October, 80 to 100 cm high
In addition to beautiful flowers, colored foliage and fruits also create contrasts. The self-climbing virgin vine (wild wine) has wonderful foliage in autumn and also has black berries. Real wine (only blue varieties) shine with beautiful leaves, as do rock pear, many types of maple, coton, creeper, cork-winged shrub, large plume shrub and many more.
Fruit is also in high season in autumn. Rose hips, chestnuts, grapes of the virgin vine, they all shine in competition. The fruits ripen on paprika and chilli plants. Barberries and mock berries produce small red fruits. The fruits of the lantern flower, which look great in bright orange, are striking.
The suitable companion plants for the flowering plants in autumn are grasses. Whether pennon cleaner grass (especially beautiful African pennon cleaner grass), Chinese reed, pampas grass, zebra grass or others, the selection is large. With the variety of growth forms, leaf colors and fruit stands, everyone is sure to find the right grass for their garden. Colored grasses are particularly popular. Grasses look very nice even in winter.
Conclusion
Autumn is a colorful companion in the garden. Of course, you have to choose the right plants. Care should also be taken not to use too many varieties. In this case, less is more. It is better to plant several specimens of one genus together in groups, that works better. Too much color can also overwhelm the eye. This is another reason why great care must be taken with the selection. Personally, I think grasses are absolutely great in autumn. However, they need space to be effective. They sometimes go under in densely planted beds. Autumn flowers are grateful plants that bloom until the first frost and are usually very easy to care for. I haven’t described many different species above, but I have mentioned numerous beautiful varieties. Everyone is sure to find their favorite plants there.
