September Blooms: Persicaria ‘Firetail’

Persicaria ‘Firetail’ Zones 3-9

Upright spikes of long blooming light pink, hot pink, or white flowers, Persicaria can take wet feet and grows well pond side. Can grow in full sun or part shade, marshy or well drained soil. Very low maintenance perennial. Plant and ignore.

Blooms from June until October. 'Firetail' grows into big 3 to 4 foot wide and high, bushy clumps.

Other varieties include 'Pink Elephant', which is a lighter pink and stays much smaller only 12 to 15 inches.

September Blooms: Hardy Hibiscus

Create a lush fall garden with brilliant September blooms:



Hardy Hibiscus zones 4-9

Huge blooms grace the garden from late summer until the first frost. Although they look tropical, they are very cold hardy and they thrive in moist soil.

Very late to leaf out in the spring. Don't give up on them, just because they look like bare sticks in May! Once they get going in warmer weather, you can't believe how fast they grow! In June watch out for Japanese beetles, because we've see hibiscus leaves turned to lace by those rotten defoliators. Use a preventative oil based spray, or if you actually see beetles on your hibiscus use Captain Jack's Dead Bug Spray (approved for organic gardening).

If you're out in deer country, spray the foliage and huge flowers with deer repellent. Locally made Deer Defeat is our favorite.

During your fall clean-up when the hibiscus has dropped its leaves, trim the stems down to about 6" from the ground.

September blooms: Chelone (Turtlehead)

September can be lush with flowers, if you choose the right plants:



Chelone (Turtlehead) zones 5-9

A unique name and an easy plant to grow. The pink flowers are shaped like a turtle's head supposedly.

This plant grows 24" to 36" tall and wide in a lush stand, covered in the unusual pink blooms. Can tolerate wet soil and will grow pond side or stream side, but will also thrive in your well drained perennial border. Victoria has this one in her own yard, and the flowers really brighten up the fall garden.

September Blooms: Persicaria ‘Magic Carpet’

Continuing our profiles of September's abundant blooms:



Persicaria ‘Magic Carpet’ zones 4-9

Multicolored ground cover with light-pink round blooms. Can take it wet, but performs well almost anywhere including containers. Very low maintenance.

This ground cover is just cool. As its name 'Magic Carpet' implies, we'd go so far as to say this tie-dyed, tiny-leafed, red-stemmed plant is downright groovy.

Plant Profile: Primula polyantha 'Francesca'

PRIMULA POLYANTHA 'FRANCESCA'

DEER RESISTANT SHADE PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - -WET TOLERANT - CLAY SOIL TOLERANT
zone 5
4' - 6" tall and 6' - 8' wide
blooms: early spring to early summer (and sometimes beyond)


Primula polyantha 'Francesca' exceeds all expectations in the garden! This delicate, diminutive and fragrant primrose blooms and reblooms:

Plants that were in the shade and well watered were still blooming in August - outstanding for any plant, but especially for a primrose. 'Francesca' has unusual ruffled flowers of lime green with a yellow center and make a stunning companion plant to Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' and other chartreuse shade plants.

Our grower says, "Native to bogs, moist meadows and woodlands, they are perfect for damp or poorly drained soil. Try under a rain downspout, next to your water feature, pond or stream. With adequate moisture, it also performs well in a border."

Primrose in general are so wet-tolerant that they can even be planted in stream beds. The garden at Inisfree has some stunning mid-stream plantings - well worth the visit.