We have arrived at the initial stages of the the time of year when I get pissed off at a lot of my gardening brethren. When I say brethren, I mean anyone who has personally planted at least 19 plants within the past 3 years. I didn’t just make up those numbers, they have been carefully curated over time.
Plus I only work in odd numbers as all gardeners should.
My data shows me that this ratio properly identifies what I’ll call the “kind-of-into-it-gardener”. Anything less than that and the term gardener cannot be attached to those fools people. This is a crucial distinction and one I suggest you borrow/steal moving forward.
Here is why I get all sorts of perturbed:
We are nearing the end of summer and with it, the end of the line for so many perennials. They’ve worked their asses off for weeks/months on end. They’ve given us nothing but joy all spring/summer and now they are ready to take a seat, drop their petals and enjoy some much needed down time. All well deserved.
But by no means does that require us to cut them down, clean them up and remove all signs of their existence. I liken that nonsense to those people who chuck their Christmas trees on December 26th or put away the holiday decorations the day after. Take a breath, relax and allow nature to do its thing. If you look at it through the appropriate lens, it is a wondrous thing.
Yes, I openly embrace the fact that I can be a bit obsessive and compulsive and neurotic in my own garden and hypocritical from time to time.
True story interlude: I announced my distaste for sedums earlier this week because they weren’t native enough and didn’t fit into my garden aesthetic here in the Northeast U.S. This afternoon I just bought two Yucca plants for containers on my deck. Hypocrite much?
But one thing I’ve done, or not done I should say, since gardening stole my heart back in the late 90’s, is cut down my perennials. I’ve always left them standing even when my OCD tendencies were telling me to cut, cut, cut. I enjoy them around all fall and winter and implore all of the “make it nice and neat” crowd to do the same. You want reasons why? Here are just some off the top of my head:
- Enjoy the life cycle – from emergence in spring, to peak in summer, to the slow death in fall and dormancy in winter, I love it all. It is how it works in the wild and the way it is supposed to be. Embrace it.
- You’ll remember what is planted where – this is very underrated. No more issues with mistaking a newly emerging perennial as a weed or digging one up accidentally when planting in spring.
- The birds and bugs need it – a place of respite or food source for so many. I like nothing more than watching the finches hit up my coneflowers in winter.
- They look good covered in ice and snow – I’ll take any additional winter interest I can get. And bare garden space is not attractive.
So friends, family, some time acquaintances and strangers, accept the demise of your plants.
Do a lot by doing nothing.
Clean the pruners and stow them away.
Accept a bit of chaos.
Give the bees one last chance to enjoy the Agastache.
Remember how that vivid orange color excited you in mid summer.
Don’t forget that brown is a color.
And thank your Bee Balm for the endless entertainment they provided all summer drawing in all of those bees and butterflies.
QOTD: What perennial do you enjoy most in fall/winter?
I like the way you think! I don’t have seasons like you do up north but I heard that the leaving the plant matter protects the roots when they get covered by snow. We have hard freezes every few years and we always recommend leaving the dead leaves until we are past the last chance of freezing. I like the look of gardens as we head towards autumn…the light is lower and the colors more subtle!
So true Laurin, should have added to my list. And you’re so right, the Fall lighting is incredible.
What perennials do I enjoy? Well, those sedums you want to throw out are pretty fine right into the winter….
Getting over that, I think Amsonia hubrichtii is lovely, especially next to Little Devil ninebark, and Alma Potschke aster is a show-stopper in fall (I’m pretty sure the vivid pink can be seen from space). By winter, though, the garden is single-handedly carried by Ilex verticillata. Not a perennial, but it really deserves a mention. You do grow it, right? As one of the brethren?
Kate – love love Amsonia and just realized this second that I need to add near my Ninebark which somehow has avoided the deer wrath to this point. I am literally super psyched thinking about it and I am going to do it this weekend. Will prove through pics. Thank you!!!!!!
Just love the panicums and, as I struggle with some lack of rainfall, I love them more than ever. They are fresh and healthy looking and seem to scoff at the thirsty conditions that has other plants looking peaked. I have a swath of them planted in a spot that I look out on all through the winter when I sit at my command post/kitchen table. My view would be pathetic without them.
Could not agree more Michaele.
I decided to dig up all of the hostas on my property this year (to the horror of my traditionalist neighbour), because in addition to being kind of ugly and too slug friendly, they just melt into a pile of green goo after the first frost. Awful. Now, Red Osier Dogwood and Goldenrod? Come winter, they are among my favourites. The fluffy Goldenrod seedheads are lovely, but for some reason the galls put them over the top for me.
Love your post and love the fall and winter garden! (Here in Ontario it’s a good portion of the year, so it makes sense to garden for it!)
Laura – I never speak of the Hosta because of deer and because of the same distaste for them. I have wild goldenrod all around my property and it is the greatest in early morning all fall and winter. Thanks for reaching out!
For me, it has to be Eupatorium ‘Gateway’.
The giant flower heads fade to mauve and in the fall winds seem to bow down to the rest of the perennial beds!
Alas, all my beds are cut and groomed by the first week in November. My hubby is a total neat freak and as he does ALL the hard labor, I let him have his way on this one.
Marriage as well as gardening is, after all, a give and take!
JMart – well played, well played. And huge Eupatorium fan as well. I’ve incorporated so many smaller varieties because nothing thrives in my conditions better than Joe Pye.
I confess that even though I have previously said I am getting rid of the Autumn Joy sedum, I actually left the stalks standing last fall in a desperate attempt to stymie the deer. It didn’t work of course. So last year’s stalks still stand, stabbing me every time I try to weed arouund them, but at least it looks like I may see a few blooms this year before I remove the plants next spring.
And I still haven’t removed my Sedum either. Always hard for me to pull the plug and who knows when and if I really will.