Fall Garden Border with ‘Nicholas’ Dahlia Autumn doesn't mean color has to call it quits in your garden! Use mums, dahlias, sedum, salvia and switchgrass to make a splash when temperatures start to cool off. Grow flowers that pop with fall color
Plant this grouping in spring, and the combination of texture and color will reward you in fall! Plus, these plants all continue to look good long after the first frost. Leave sedum and switchgrass to provide winter interest, but dig the dahlia tubers to save for next year. Garden mum foliage left standing will protect the crown from cold winter temperatures and late spring frost.
Full-sun and well-drained soil will give you the most flowers with the 'Nicholas' dahlia and garden mums, although the switchgrass and mealycup sage can tolerate clay soil. Stake the dahlias and sedum in spring when planting to help support heavy stems, and fertilize and pinch or cut back the flower buds into July to get a heavy flush of blooms in fall.
Plant care tips‘Nicholas’ dahlia has vibrant 6-inch-wide melon-orange flowers that look beautiful in any autumn color palette, whether it leans cool or warm. You'll want to place metal or bamboo stakes when you plant the tubers to support the tall stems as they grow and provide consistent moisture.
Switchgrass is a sturdy ornamental grass that grows best in full sun and can handle sandy or clay soil. Its gray-green leaves have an upright, dense habit with rose-colored panicles and leaf tips in fall.
Garden mum is the colorful star of the fall season, coming in a wide array of hues. Always plant hardy mums in full sun and well-drained soil. Avoid locations that stay wet or where water collects. Garden mums