Click to see a close-up of the foliage.

plant pick

‘Golden Ring’ barberry
Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea

‘Golden Ring’ has burgundy leaves that don’t fade or bleach in hot summer sun and are not susceptible to rust, like other barberries. In fall, the leaves, especially in the center of the plant, turn bright orange-red, so the entire plant seems to glow. It may look like any red barberry from a distance, but it has a special touch — a thin, green-gold band on the edge of the leaves.

Speaking of color, that band around the leaf edge sometimes doesn’t show up at first on new leaves. As the weather warms up, you’ll start to see it. But make sure your ‘Golden Ring’ barberry gets at least 8 hours of sun per day for the best foliage color.

Barberries aren’t known for their flowers, but they do have small yellow spring blooms. Glossy red fall berries dangle under the branches even after the leaves drop. These berries often last into winter, as they’re not a favorite food for birds. One note of caution though, barberries can be invasive on the East Coast, so avoid them if they’re a problem in your area.

TYPE Shrub SIZE 4 to 5 ft. tall and wide BLOOM Small yellow in spring LIGHT Full sun SOIL Moist, well-drained PESTS None serious, a rust-resistant cultivar HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 8; Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1

Click on the photo for this container plan.

jack-o-planter

Nothing says “fall” like a pumpkin, so what could be more perfect to use for a fall container? If you’d like to make one of your own, here are a few things you need to do to make your pumpkin planter last.

To keep your pumpkin looking good for as long as possible, don’t plant directly into it. Instead, plant up a plastic nursery pot and slide it into the pumpkin. Take an 8-in. plastic pot along when you chose your pumpkin to be sure it will fit.

Once you’ve got your pumpkin, cut an opening in the top large enough for the pot to slip through. Scoop out the insides and cut a 1-in. drainage hole in the bottom. Then seal the pumpkin by spraying the inside with Wilt-Pruf^®, especially the area around the hole. This will help keep it from rotting. Now you’re ready to plant.

These kales, pansies and cape daisies all do well in cool fall temperatures. First, place a little potting mix in the bottom of the pot. Most pumpkins won’t hold a very big pot, so to fit in as many plants as possible, flatten each root ball before you tuck it in, then fill in any spaces with more mix. Once everything is planted, water the pot and let it drain completely before you place it in the pumpkin.

PHOTO: © Ken Meyer

plant pick

‘Peter Pan’ African lily
Agapanthus hybrid

Not many gardens can handle large containers filled with full-sized African lilies that grow up to 3 ft. tall and wide. That’s where ‘Peter Pan’ comes in. One mature plant in a 12- to 15-in.-diameter pot is a good size for nearly any area.

Fill the container with a potting mix that holds moisture but still drains well. You’ll need to bring ‘Peter Pan’ indoors for the winter if your temperatures drop below 10 to 20 degrees. As the weather warms up in the spring and stays above freezing, move ‘Peter Pan’ back outside for the summer. Feed it with a liquid general-purpose fertilizer once a month. And remember, ‘Peter Pan’ will bloom best when it’s pot-bound.

TYPE Tender perennial SIZE 24 in. tall by 18 in. wide BLOOM Late summer LIGHT Full sun to part shade SOIL Moist, well-drained PESTS Slugs HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 8 to 10; Heat: AHS zones 12 to 1

plant pick

‘Rubra’ astrantia
Astrantia major

Looking for some unusual flowers to spruce up your garden? Try ‘Rubra’ astrantia. The flowers last a long time in the garden and in a vase. And not only that, you can dry them to keep a reminder of summer through the winter.

Astrantia usually does best in part shade with moist, not soggy, well-drained soil. In Northern gardens, you can grow it in full sun if you keep the soil moist. A good way to do this is with a 2- to 3-in. layer of mulch that’s one part well-rotted manure mixed into four parts compost. This type of mulch will feed the soil and keep in much-needed moisture.

Deadheading keeps blooms coming for most of the summer. When flowers fade to brown, follow the stem down to where it branches and snip it off.

TYPE Perennial SIZE 18 to 24 in. tall by 12 to 18 in. wide BLOOM Rose-red in late spring to late summer LIGHT Full sun to part shade SOIL Moist, rich, well-drained PESTS None serious, occasional slugs HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 7; Heat: AHS zones 7 to 1

plant pick

Iris
Iris hybrids

Just about everyone has grown iris at some time. But if you’ve noticed yours aren’t blooming like they used to, it may be time to divide — every three to five years is a good rule of thumb. You can move your iris any time if necessary, but dividing them in mid- to late summer is best. It gives the rhizomes enough time to establish a good root system before winter.

Start by trimming the foliage back to 10 to 12 in. to make plants easier to handle. Use a garden fork to lift the clump out of the ground. Then break or cut off the new growth, which is usually along the outside, from the center of the clump, and discard the old rhizomes. Replant the divisions right at the soil’s surface so they don’t rot.

TYPE Perennial SIZE 8 to 49 in. tall and 18 in. wide BLOOM Almost every color in spring LIGHT Full sun SOIL Well-drained PESTS Occasional iris borer HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 9; Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

tips for growing lavender

Harvesting fragrant stems of English lavender is a pleasurable garden task. Even the bees are slower and linger quietly on this glorious plant. Although it’s easy to grow English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) in dry climates, it’s a challenge in much of North America — the crowns tend to rot in the winter. Here’s a planting method that’s sure to give you success.

BRIGHT LIGHT, DRY FEET — To start, choose a spot in full sun and dig your planting hole about 8 in. deeper and 12 in. wider than the pot you’re planting. To make the soil a bit alkaline and encourage good drainage, place a layer of limestone gravel in the bottom of the planting hole. Then layer soil and turkey grit. Plant the rootball so the plant’s crown sticks up about an inch above the rest of the soil.

MULCH AND GIVE PLANTS SOME ROOM — After your plant is set, mulch with 2 in. of large granite turkey grit or white landscape stone. If you live near a farm supply store, look for turkey grit there. Otherwise, buy white landscaping stone at a garden center. The light-colored stone reflects the sun under the plant and allows stems to dry out quickly after rain or watering, which prevents rot. And stone, rather than organic mulch, promotes that all-important good drainage, also to prevent root rot. Another thing that can cause fungal problems is poor air circulation. Space plants 24 in. apart to prevent this.

ROOT WATCH — Young lavender plants are usually slow to take off, so it’s best to buy plants that have some root growth. When looking at plants in the nursery, carefully turn the pot over and gently tap it, allowing the plant to slip out of the container. If you can see a few roots poking out of the soil, you know the lavender is established and ready to jump up and grow.

WARM SOIL START — Wait to plant until late spring or early summer when soil temperatures are warm. It’s hard to be patient, but young plants are more likely to rot during a cold, wet spring. If you’ve been frustrated with this charming plant, give this method a try. You’ll soon be harvesting fragrant wands a few times each summer!

butterfly container garden

Want to bring in the butterflies? Create a garden using plants they love. The butterflies will flock to the “buffet” selection of flowers. And you’ll like the fact that many of the plants are easy-care, long-blooming perennials. Most any yard has a spot where you can tuck in a butterfly bed. If yours doesn’t, or you already have a big butterfly garden, but you’d like to draw a few winged visitors closer to the deck or patio, containers are the solution. That way you’ll be able to watch them up close and personal.

While butterflies will visit almost any flower looking for food, they are more attracted to some plants. Those are the ones to use in a container. You’ll want to choose flowers that have lots of nectar, a butterfly’s favorite food. That’s why we’ve included aster, lantana, purple coneflower and black-eyed Susan. Add a canna in the center for some height and bold texture. This guarantees your container will look good to both you and hungry butterflies!

Check out the plant list and planting plan for this container in our Web extra!

plant pick

Penstemon
Penstemon hybrids

Need a plant for that hot, dry spot? Also want hummingbirds? Choose a penstemon! Although these plants have a reputation for being finicky, all they really need to thrive is well-drained soil. (Although some, like Red Rocks™ (USDA zones 5 to 9), at left, tolerate a little more moisture and humidity than others.)

To give them the sharp drainage they love, plant penstemons in rock gardens or raised beds, or work some gravel or coarse sand into their planting area. You’ll know the texture is right when you squeeze a handful of damp soil and it doesn’t stick together. They do like a little extra moisture in spring and as new plants just getting established. Water them deeply and infrequently to encourage the roots to grow deep. Fertilize sparingly or not at all, as too much fertilizer will make the stems weak and floppy. Follow these simple rules, and your penstemons will attract hummingbirds for months!

TYPE Perennial SIZE 4 to 72 in. tall and 10 to 36 in. wide BLOOM Red, pink, purple, yellow or orange flowers early to late summer LIGHT Full sun SOIL Moist, well-drained PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 3 to 10; Heat: AHS zones 10 to 1

Meet more than 150 other great plants for your garden in our new softcover book, Ultimate Flowers for Sun and Shade. Find out how at right!

plant pick

Double Knock Out^® rose
Rosa ‘RADtko’

Double Knock Out could be the perfect landscape rose. These 3 1/2-in., double fluorescent cherry-red flowers bloom from late spring to frost and never need deadheading. And like its cousin, the original Knock Out, this rose is drought-tolerant, self-cleaning and won’t succumb to blackspot.

With its hint of spicy scent, Double Knock Out is about as maintenance-free as it could be. It’s almost constantly covered in blooms — about five flowers in a cluster and 25 clusters on each branch. In fall the foliage turns rich purple with subtle maroon undertones.

TYPE Perennial SIZE 36 in. tall and wide BLOOM Cherry-red from late spring to frost LIGHT Full sun SOIL Moist, well-drained PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 9; Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

plant pick

Tulip
Tulipa hybrids

There are some plants that just stand for a certain season, and nothing says “spring” as loud and clear as tulips!

There’s a tulip out there for everyone. You’ll find nearly any color except blue, and some flowers are streaked with two or three colors. Some are that classic tulip shape, like ‘Barcelona’, in the photo, while others have fringed or ruffled edges, double blooms or elegant, pointed, lily-shaped flowers.

Like most bulbs, tulips like a spot that’s sunny in the spring, but they’re perfectly content under big shade trees that leaf out later. Just make sure they’re in well-drained soil, or the bulbs can rot.

If you garden south of zone 8, buy pre-chilled bulbs or refrigerate your bulbs for four to six weeks before you plant them.

TYPE Bulb SIZE 4 to 24 in. tall by 3 to 5 in. wide BLOOM Wide range of colors from early to late spring LIGHT Sun to part shade SOIL Moist, well-drained PESTS Crown rot HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 3 to 8; Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1

See more spring-bloomers in Garden Gate magazine issue 85, on newsstands now!

gerbera daisy
gerbera jamesonii

Who doesn’t love a daisy? Gerberas produce flowers up to 4 in. in diameter atop single, unbranched stems, making them excellent for cutting. They’re also perfect in containers, as you see here.

Make sure to plant them high, so water won’t collect in the crowns and rot them. Water and then let the soil dry out on the surface before watering again. But don’t let the foliage wilt, or you’ll have fewer flowers. To keep them blooming their best, feed gerberas once a season with slow-release 14-14-14 fertilizer.

Let your eyes be your guide when shopping — gerbera daisies come in a wide variety of colors, but aren’t usually sold as named varieties. You can also start gerberas from seed indoors in fall or spring. Seedlings need warmth, so keep them at 55 to 65 degrees until you move them outside.

TYPE Annual/tender perennial SIZE 18 in. tall and wide BLOOM All colors but blue in summer LIGHT Sun to part shade SOIL Well-drained, fertile PESTS Crown rot HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 8 to 12; Heat: AHS zones 12 to 1

problem solver

Kudzu
Pueraria montana

IDENTIFICATION — Known as “the vine that ate the South,” this perennial weed thrives in USDA zones 5 to 11 from Florida to Oklahoma and north to Connecticut and Illinois. Kudzu can grow up to a foot a day, eventually stretching to 100 ft. long. Stems can grow to be 4 in. thick. The dense layer of leaves smothers other plants and the weight of this vine can break branches and uproot trees. Usually kudzu spreads by rooting along the stem, not from seed.

FAVORITE CONDITIONS — Originally grown as an ornamental and fodder plant, kudzu has escaped. It grows in full sun and any type of soil, although it prefers acid to neutral soil.

CONTROL — Systemic herbicides like Roundup® are the quickest and most effective method of control. Follow label directions and apply in early fall to cut stems. Keep an eye on the area, and apply the herbicide as needed for at least 10 years to make sure kudzu is gone for good.

new england aster
aster novae-angliae

If you want to attract butterflies to your garden, planting asters is a good start. There are so many asters to choose from — and butterflies like them all — but New England asters are the most popular. These easy-to-grow perennials have flowers in red, pink, purple or white, all with a yellow center. Because asters bloom in late summer, they provide a food source after all the summer-blooming plants have finished.

Plant asters in full sun and well-drained soil. Space them so air can circulate between the plants to reduce the chances of powdery mildew. Water at the base of the plants too — not overhead. On a warm autumn afternoon you may have trouble finding the flowers under all the feasting butterflies.

TYPE Perennial SIZE 10 in. to 5 ft. tall and 15 to 36 in. wide BLOOM Late summer to fall LIGHT Full sun SOIL Well-drained PESTS Powdery mildew HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 8; Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1

swordleaf inula
inula ensifolia

If you have clay soil, you might want to try growing swordleaf inula. The mounds of small swordlike leaves are almost covered with 1-in.-diameter golden-yellow flowers in midsummer.

It’s easy to start from seed indoors. Sow the seed, barely covering them with potting mix, and keep them moist with the temperature between 65 and 70 degrees. Seedlings will sprout in about three weeks. Move the new plants to your garden after the threat of frost has passed.

Plant swordleaf inula near the front of your border or bed and with the crown at least an inch or two above the ground. You need to keep the crown from getting too wet and rotting, especially in the winter.

TYPE Perennial SIZE 2 ft. tall and 1½ ft. wide BLOOM Mid- to late summer LIGHT Full sun SOIL Moist PESTS Powdery mildew if allowed to dry out too frequently HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 9; Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

‘victoria’ mealycup sage
salvia farinacea

What could be better in a summer border than a lush mass of blue flowers? ‘Victoria’ is one of the best sages for massing, and the flowers and foliage are more dense than many other species. Besides, it’s easy to start from seed, or you can pick it up by the flat at almost any garden center.

If you keep ‘Victoria’ moist and well fed, it’ll bloom happily even without any deadheading. But it’s a good idea to remove the spent flower spikes to keep the plant looking neater. As the summer progresses, it gets bigger and better. And, if you live where ‘Victoria’ is not hardy, it’ll be one of the last annuals to be knocked down by frost.

HABIT Upright, well-branched SIZE 24 in. tall and 10 in. wide BLOOM Summer into autumn LIGHT Full sun SOIL Moist, well-drained PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 8 to 11; Heat: AHS zones 12 to 1

designing with marigolds

Marigolds are some of the most versatile annuals you can grow. They will blend with almost any color in your garden and have a variety of heights. Since marigolds are heat- and drought-tolerant, they’re excellent subjects for containers, where the soil sometimes dries out between waterings. Unless you are planting a big container (more than 3 ft. in diameter), the French, triploid or signet marigolds will work best. They’re shorter and have smaller flowers that are in proportion with the container size.

Be bold — plant marigolds in between your vegetable plants. They’ll dress up the garden. Anywhere you put marigolds, plant them in large groups. Later in the season, they will grow into a tight mass. When you’re massing annuals like this, plant the seedlings a couple of inches closer than the packet tells you. You’ll get a fuller effect earlier than if you set them farther apart.

Combine vivid and pale-yellow marigolds with shades of blue or lavender. Orange and coppery selections look dramatic with dark burgundy or purple-bronze.

shrubby st. john’s wort
hypericum prolificum

Sometimes it seems that all the best shrubs either flower in the spring or have fabulous fall color, leaving the summer bare. Here’s a shrub that’s showy in the summer. Shrubby St. John’s wort has bright-yellow fluffball flowers that bloom for four to six weeks in midsummer. The foliage is clean, dark green and sets off the flowers nicely.

Although this shrub is showiest in summer when it’s blooming, it does have some winter interest too. Brown seed capsules dot the plant and usually last until late winter. They’re a great addition to dried flower arrangements too.

Shrubby St. John’s wort may need to be pruned hard to tidy it up. It also tends to be short-lived, so you may have to replant it after four or five years. The blast of summer color makes it worth what little added trouble it is to replace occasionally. ‘Hidcote’, in the photo, is a popular, widely available hybrid that has large, slightly fragrant flowers.

TYPE Shrub SIZE 1 to 4 ft. tall and wide BLOOM Midsummer LIGHT Full sun SOIL Well-drained to dry, alkaline PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 9; Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

sunny fern facts

Ferns are commonly recommended for shade gardens, but if you’re fond of ferns and don’t have shade, there are some ferns that will tolerate full sun with the right care. The two listed here will tolerate full sun if you keep the soil moist. As a general rule, the more sun ferns are exposed to, the more moisture they’ll need. Plant them in humus-rich soil and spread chopped leaf mulch around them to help conserve moisture.

Hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) grows 18 in. tall and spreads quickly to cover a large area. It grows best in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. The 3- to 5-in.-wide fronds are deciduous. Hay-scented fern is cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 and heat-tolerant in AHS zones 8 to 1.

Southern shield fern (Thelypteris kunthii) is a deciduous fern with 3-ft.-tall shiny green fronds. In mild winters the fronds remain evergreen. It spreads by underground rhizomes. This fern is cold-hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9 and heat-tolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1.

‘duchess of edinburgh’ clematis
clematis hybrid

Here is a situation where more is better — double blooms. ‘Duchess of Edinburgh’ is a clematis with 4- to 6-in.-wide double blooms that open a light shade of green and change to creamy white as they mature. This fast-growing vine has attractive foliage, too, that’s often covered with cream-colored flecks.

Plant this regal clematis in full sun or part shade. If you grow it in full sun, keep the roots cool, either with a thick layer of mulch or by planting perennials nearby to shade the roots. Flower buds are formed on last year’s growth, so just do some light pruning after the flowers fade. You can prune the vine back hard to rejuvenate it, but don’t expect a big flower show next year because you’ll have pruned off many of the flower buds.

TYPE Perennial vine SIZE 8 to 10 ft. tall BLOOM Midspring LIGHT Full sun to part shade SOIL Moist, well-drained PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 9; Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

bridal wreath spirea
spiraea x vanhouttei

Truly an old-fashioned favorite, this shrub has appeared in many a hedge around an old farmhouse. But with loads of white flower clusters in late spring and exceptional toughness, this is still a great choice.

Even when it’s not flowering, small blue-green leaves on arching branches make a great background planting for perennial beds. You can prune or shear this spirea, but it looks best when it has room to spread out into its natural fountainlike shape. However, if you need to rejuvenate an old, ragged plant, you can cut most of the stems back to the ground and let the plant regrow.

Like most members of the rose family, spirea are susceptible to several diseases, however newer cultivars, like ‘Renaissance’, have improved resistance to disease. At 3 to 4 ft. tall, ‘Pink Ice’ is a shorter spirea with pink, cream and green variegation and light pink flowers. These and other cultivars are available from specialty nurseries or mail-order catalogs.

TYPE Shrub SIZE 6 to 8 ft. tall, 8 to 10 ft. wide BLOOM Late spring LIGHT Full sun to part shade SOIL Adapts to most soil types PESTS Occasional powdery mildew HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 3 to 9 Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1