In the Garden: Friends of Manito fall plant sale offers late season additions for any garden
How is your ornamental garden looking as we head into late August?
If it’s short on color and buzzing bees, there’s an easy way to remedy that. On Saturday, The Friends of Manito will hold their fall plant sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will feature perennials, houseplants, and home and garden décor. They have a wonderful assortment of colorful late bloomers that are very popular with the pollinators.
Here are a few plants that are well worth checking out. Most prefer full sun unless otherwise noted.
Asclepias (Milkweed): It’s pretty hard to beat perennials that are hardy down to zone 3, deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and attract butterflies and bees. Cinderella features beautiful pink flower heads and ranges from 36 to 60 inches tall. Two native offerings for monarch butterflies are showy milkweed (A. speciosa) and narrowleaf milkweed (A. fascicularis); each of them will grow to about 36 inches.
Aster: These cheerful zone 3 plants make delightful additions to late-season borders. Shorter varieties include bright purple Alert, lilac blue Professor Anton Kippenberg and rose-pink Happy End. Taller options are reddish-pink Alma Potschke and lavender-blue Raydon’s Fave.
Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed): There are some lovely offerings of this easy-care perennial. Gateway features deep pink flowers, attractive purple stems, reaches about 72 inches in height and is hardy to zone 3. Little Joe is a bit more petite with a height of 24 to 48 inches and has eye-catching variegated foliage and showy white blooms; it is hardy to zone 4. The dark, bronzy leaves of Chocolate create a stunning contrast with white flower clusters. It thrives in full sun to full shade, grows 36 to 48 inches tall and is hardy to zone 5.
Sedum (Stonecrop): These reliable, easy-to-grow perennials really put on a show from late summer into fall. Most are hardy to zone 3 and are a favorite of bees. Autumn Joy is everyone’s favorite, and rightly so, but check out the other great options. Bertram Anderson is a groundcover with purple leaves and deep pink flower clusters. Coral Jade features green leaves and golden flower buds that open to pale pink. Frosted Fire has green leaves edged with creamy yellow and pale rose flowers that will also provide winter interest.
Solidago (Goldenrod): It’s hard to top the buttery-yellow blooms of goldenrods which are magnets for pollinators. Wichita Mountains, Golden Baby and Fireworks are all hardy to zone 4, drought-tolerant and deer-resistant. They range in height from 18 to 36 inches. Fireworks earned its name from the sprays of flowers that give the appearance of exploding skyrockets.
Plant sale co-coordinator Gabi Tilley knows this is a great time to plant perennials.
“This is the last hurrah before winter comes, the time when pollinators will get their last drinks of nectar. These plants can take a frost and still keep going.”
Proceeds from the sale will fund projects in Manito Park and support the many free educational activities The Friends of Manito offers to the community throughout the year. Members of The Friends of Manito will receive a 10% discount on their purchases.
Susan Mulvihill is author of “The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook” and “The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook.” She can be reached at Susan@SusansintheGarden.com. Watch this week’s video at youtube.com/susansinthegarden.