What Flowers to Plant in the Fall
There are many different flowers you can plant in the fall, both for immediate color and future blooming. Many spring blooming flowers grow from bulbs that must be planted in the fall, while annuals that prefer cooler temperatures can be planted in late summer or early fall to enjoy until major frosts. This explanation will help you determine what flowers to plant in the fall, whether they're bulbs or annuals.
Fall Flowering Annuals
To spruce up your fall garden or patio display, there are several flowers you can plant that will do well in cool autumn weather. Mums are readily available in a wide variety of colors, including orange, burgundy, yellow and white. Candytufts are great low-growing flowers that do well in fall, and marigolds are wonderful for sprucing up borders. Others to consider are zinnias, hollyhocks, petunias, lobelia and sweet alyssum. Depending on your needs, you can either grow fall annuals in containers or plant them directly in your garden. Container displays make end-of-season cleanup a cinch.
Bulbs for Fall Planting
Most of the pretty flowers that come up every spring were planted in the fall as bulbs. Flowers that grow from bulbs, including tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, need to develop a root system over the winter in order to bloom properly in the spring. They also benefit from overwintering, and need the cold temperatures in order to break dormancy in spring. You should wait to plant bulbs in the fall until temperatures fall below sixty degrees. Most bulbs should be planted about three times as deep as their height, with the pointed side facing up. Depending on what style of garden you're growing, you can either plant them in formal rows or informal clusters. Keep in mind that daffodils spread, while tulips generally don't. You may need to replant tulip bulbs every couple of years to maintain vigorous flowering.
