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Compositely Yours, Aster

Now that September has officially arrived (also known as the unofficial start of autumn, if you’ve been eagerly counting down the days to spooky season like I have), both us lowly humans as well as our plant companions are ready for well-deserved break from the summer heat. As the nighttime emerges more quickly and the sun seems wont to rise in the brisk early mornings, the purples, blues, and yellows that signal the arrival of autumn slowly begin to unravel. Asters and goldenrods are the champion perennials of late summer to early autumn, their complimentary hues playing against one another in the landscape. At a time when many other native perennials are at a standstill, these two provide critical nectar sources for pollinators late in the season.

By Kate Irvine Fall Bloom · Pollinators · Read More

Fall Planting Facts & Fiction

Last week, we discussed the science behind the rainbow of colors that adorn our trees, shrubs, and some of our perennials this time of year. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, many people don’t know that autumn is a fantastic time to get things planted. In our mild winters here in the Mid-Atlantic, it’s not uncommon to be popping plants into the ground all the way up until the first frost – and these days, we’re sometimes able to extend that timeframe even further. So, this week, we’re bringing you a boatload of invaluable information about the dos and don’ts of fall planting (plus, of course, some pertinent and timely pictures to get your brain noodling about some potential candidates for your next project).

By Kate Irvine Fall Bloom · Woody Ornamentals · Read More

Flowering Fall Favorites

With fall festivals, haunted hayrides, bonfire gatherings and shorter daylight hours upon us, the Nursery is once again beginning to brim with color. And we’re not just talking about the pending foliage changes on our various trees and shrubs (although that’s pretty great, too). It’s time to celebrate a few last hurrahs for our fall flowering favorites here at Pleasant Run. Now’s the time to be planting, and what better to use than some beautiful late bloomers to wow and intrigue onlookers? This week, we’re going to talk about five of our seasonal favorites that are currently showing us what they’ve got, starting with an oldie-but-goodie: Viburnum macrocephalum.

By Kate Irvine Fall Bloom · Perennials · Woody Ornamentals · Read More

Breaking the Grass Ceiling

For the longest time, grasses, sedges, and rushes weren’t thought of as particularly ornamental in comparison to the innumerable flowering perennials, shrubs and trees that have proven their worthiness in endless gardens worldwide. Luckily, the native plant renaissance and efforts such as Mt. Cuba Center’s Carex Garden Trial have piqued the interests of not only horticulturists, but the general public, when it comes to the incorporation of our spectacularly strappy friends into the ornamental landscape. No longer do we live in a world where Pennisetum and Miscanthus dominate the retail shelves. Slowly, those old-timey grasses are being edged off of their pedestals not only for having questionable spreading habits but, let’s be honest, there are much cooler grasses out there. Sort of like the handful we’ll be talking about this week. So, let’s strap in and take a look at some of these a-maize-ing selections! (Sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves.)

By Kate Irvine Deer Resistant · Fall Bloom · Grasses · Read More

Autumnal Awakening

It’s here! Chilly nights, chunky sweaters, candied apples, roasting bonfires, pumpkin spice everything… but lest we forget the late season blooming plants that add an extra bit of the ol’ razzle-dazzle to the fall landscape. What better to contrast the plentiful reds, oranges, and bronzy greens of Autumn than seasonal golden yellows and diverse purples? Besides: purple is a classic Halloween color, and yellow is an Autumn mainstay. Why not play it up this time of year and really lean into seasonal color palettes? Don’t worry, this week’s helpful guide to fun Fall flowers will do exactly that!

By Kate Irvine Fall Bloom · Perennials · Pollinators · Woody Ornamentals · Read More