One of my Absolute Favourites

This plant is one of my all-time favourites. It's tall and elegantly green for most of the summer. Then, come mid-August– just as you're feeling desperate for a little color– the soft lavender flowers begin to open.

Wild Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa is North American native that can be found in fields and along roadsides. It's a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), but don't worry, it's a clump-forming perennial. It does spread slowly by underground rhizomes, but the plant's roots are near to the surface of the soil and are easy to remove where unwanted.

Give this plant full sun with a little afternoon shade in southern garden zones. You'll find it's not a fussy plant and is quite happy in average garden soil. It will even tolerate quite poor soil and dry conditions. 

Monarda fistulosa is a skyscraper that can reach up to 5 feet. Unlike modern hybrids, Monarda fistulosa is more prone to outbreaks of powdery mildew, but I have yet to have a problem (Perhaps this is because my garden is quite dry in the summer. If your garden gets lots of rain, you may have more of an issue with powdery mildew).

There is always the hum of bees around this perennial. Butterflies love it too.

My front garden.

Phlox paniculata 'Eva Cullum and Phlox paniculata 'David's Lavender' (above) can be 

seen in the background of the previous picture.

Looking along the driveway.

The leaves and flowers of this plant are edible and can be used in both salads and cooked dishes. The dried leaves and flowers can also be used to make an aromatic tea.

Plant type: Perennial

Height: 2-5 ft

Spread: 3-4 ft

Flower: Lavender

Bloom period: Late-summer into early fall

Leaf: Toothed, aromatic blue-green leaves

Light: Full sun to light shade

Companion Plants: Ornamental grasses, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Phlox

Divide: Spring

Deer resistant

Problems: Provide good air circulation to avoid powdery mildew

USDA Zones: 4-9

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The Holdouts

Today I am looking back on the golden days of autumn with an eye to fabulous foliage and perennials that continued to bloom well into the season.

 Fantastic Autumn Foliage:

Caryopteris divaricata 'Snow Fairy' is a plant that I always looks spring-fresh in late summer and fall. Full sun to light shade. Height: 60 cm and Spread: 60cm (very similar in size and shape to a small Spirea).

I have a number of Ninebark all of which look terrific in autumn.

Delicate looking Switch Grass, Panicum Virgatum 'Northwind' is one of my favourite grasses. It forms a neat, upright clump of blue-green foliage and tolerates a range of soils and moisture levels. This grass's best feature is the cloud of beige panicles that in appear in late summer. Full sun. Height: 120-150 cm (47-59 inches), Spread:60-90 cm (23-35 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Evening Primrose, Oenothera tetragona is a bit of a nuisance because it spreads a bit to aggressively, but it redeems itself a little each fall when it turns a brilliant red. Height: 30-50 cm, Spread: 30-40 cm. Sun or part shade. USDA Zones: 3-9.

Euphorbia 'First Blush' likes dry, sunny conditions. It has light green foliage with cream margins and a blush of rose. In spring, it has yellow flowers, but the true beauty of this plant is in the foliage. Warning: this plant has a milky sap that is irritating to skin. It's a good idea to wear gloves when you are doing any pruning. Height: 25-30 cm ( 10-12 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA Zones: 5-9.

Euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire' has foliage that emerges as green and then quickly becomes a mix of maroon and green. It also has bright yellow bracts in June. In fall, the color seems to intensify and the plant becomes magical when covered with frost crystals. Full sun and normal or sandy, dry soil. Warning: this plant also has a milky sap that is irritating to skin. Again, it's a good idea to wear gloves when you are doing any pruning. Height: 25-30 cm ( 10-12 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA Zones: 5-9.

Frost always does them in, but up until that point, Coleus looks terrific in conjunction 

with other autumn foliage.

One of my birdbath planters. The ceramic mushrooms are from the Dollar Store.

Fabulous Autumn Flowers:

My picture does not do this plant justice. It is a great perennial to have for fall color.

Turtlehead, Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips' has pink hooded flowers from August into September. Turtlehead prefers moist soil, but does fine enough in my garden. Full sun or light shade. Height:60-90 cm (18-23 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm. USDA Zones: 3-9.

Agastache 'Blue Fortune: I have featured this perennial any number of times, so I'll keep it short and sweet here. I love the frosty blue flowers and the pinkish cast the leaves take on as the temperatures drop. 'Blue Fortune' always looks great well into October.

Dwarf Calamint, Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta

 It's a bit of a shaggy dog, but the warm blue flowers are a nice color infusion to my fall garden.

Anise Hyssop, Agastache 'Little Adder' is a new introduction that is much shorter than Agastache 'Black Adder'. It blooms from late spring into fall. 'Little Adder' is only hardy to zone 5, so fingers crossed it makes it through an Ontario winter. Full sun and average growing conditions. Height: 40-45 cm (15-18 inches), Spread: 50-60 cm ( 20-24 inches). USDA Zones: 5-9.

Wild Bergamont or Monarda fistulosa

Wild Bergamont,  Monarda fistulosa is a skyscraper that can reach up to 5 feet. It started blooming in August and continued to flower into late September. Unlike modern hybrids, it can be prone to outbreaks of powdery mildew. Even so, it is well worth having in your garden. Bees and butterflies love it. Full sun to light shade. Average soil. USDA Zones: 3-9.

Two very similar Phlox. Both bloom a bit later than most of the other common varieties of Phlox.

Phlox paniculata Nora Leigh has white flowers with a magenta-colored eyes. The leaves are green with a narrow cream-colored margins. Full sun or light shade. Height: 70-75 cm (27-29 inches), Spread: 60-75 cm (23-29 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Phlox paniculata 'Creme de Menthe' has wonderful green leaves with large, cream-colored margins. The flowers are also white with a magenta-colored eye. Full sun or light shade. Height: 90-120 cm (36-48 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (24-36 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

I'll announce the winner of the latest book draw shortly.

Have a wonderful weekend!