With summer fading and fall coming on, you might be missing those splashes of color in your garden that brightened your day. The good news is that you still have time to liven up your landscaping.
Admittedly, fall is not the ideal time to plant, but that said, you can have success by choosing the right plants. One benefit of buying late in the season – saving money! Garden centers are looking to unload their inventory, so you can get more plants for less money. As you shop for discounted plants, make sure you’re buying perennials. They’re the ones that come back year after year. Nothing busts a budget faster than annuals that must be replaced every year.
Saving on your fall purchases is immediate. But gardening is a long game, so here’s a tip that will pay off for years to come: plant native species. Native plants have been a topic in gardening circles for a while now, and for good reasons. For starters – and here’s where they benefit your wallet – native plants require less watering and less fertilization because they have adapted to your area’s soil and water conditions. Mother Earth loves them, too. From an ecological perspective, native plants support the bugs, bees, butterflies, and birds in and around your neighborhood.
So, now that you know why to choose native species, let’s take a look at what you could add to your garden for lovely pops of autumn color this fall and in years to come.
Colorful Native Plants at a Glance
|
PLANT NAME |
COLOR |
BLOOM PERIOD |
SIZE |
GROWS BEST IN |
|
Bigleaf Aster |
Pale Blue-Violet |
Aug-Sept |
1-2 in. |
Shade & Dry Soil |
|
Black-eyed Susan |
Yellow |
July-Sept |
2-3 in. |
Sun & Dry Soil |
|
Goldenrods |
Yellow |
Sept-Oct |
2-4 in. |
Sun & Dry Soil |
|
Joe-pye-weed |
Purple |
Aug-Sept |
3-10 in. |
Sun & Moist Soil |
|
New England Aster |
Purple |
Aug-Oct |
2-6 in. |
Sun & Moist Soil |
|
New York Ironweed |
Purple |
Aug-Sept |
3-6 in. |
Sunny & Moist Soil |
We’ve only just touched the surface of native plant landscaping in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has a comprehensive guide that covers all types of plants, including trees, flowers, and ferns, plus their optimal growing conditions, and much more.
When you’re ready to go bargain-hunting for fall plants, be sure to use a rewards credit card, like our Founder’s Reward Card. You’ll earn cash rewards on your purchases*. Those rewards can help pay for next spring’s gardening needs! Apply today.
*Some exclusions may apply. See the Visa® Founder's Card and Visa® Alumni Rewards Card Rewards Program Terms and Conditions for full details.