Hibiscus, moscheutos
By mid summer everyone’s garden can look a bit tired and those of us doing the gardening also wear out a bit. The heat has taken its toll and most of our flowering perennials may have finished blooming, or they’ve been cut back and are gearing up for a second bloom. By this time we are a bit tired of deadheading.

So what blooms now? One of the most beautiful mid season flowers is the hibiscus, which is in the (Malvaceae) family. There are not just one, but also several varieties, which produce magnificent flowers. The largest flower comes from rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos). These herbaceous perennials produce flowers, which are 8-10” in diameter! There are several different colors available, including white, pink and the most magnificent of all (and is my favorite) is ‘Lord Baltimore’ which is a brilliant scarlet color.

Within this Malvaceae family is also the flowering Rose of Sharon shrub (Hibiscus althaea). It will grow approximately 10-12 feet tall, (although some species can grow taller) and it produces a mass of mid sized blooms (2-3”). This shrub also comes in a wide variety of colors, from pinks, whites, and shades of lavender/blue.

Marnie's October Perennial Pick
Marnie Brennan, Garden Coach - Garden Shop Nursery

Fall Mums
One of the true signs that fall is coming are the fall mums.
This group of plants has several names including hardy mums
and fall garden mums. They are drought resistant, and generally free of disease and pests. Planting these summer into fall bloomers in full sun, they love the hot temperatures, if they get to much shade the will get tall and leggy. The sun will ensure that you get lots of flowers.

Many mums like to get tall and bloom early in August, but I find that they are prettier and fresher when I prune half of there growth when the reach 12 to 18 inches in height. This forces the plant to bush out and produce my shoots that will turn into flowers. If you don’t cut them back you may end up with a 3-foot tall plant, and a reduced amount of flowers.

Mums should never be allowed to wilt, especially the newly planted ones. The weather will dictate your water needs, which will most likely be 3 to 4 times a week.

The newly planted fall mums will not require any fertilizer this season. However, planting in a good organic planting mix would get your plant off to a good start. Next season begin a fertilizing routine when the plant emerges.

Over-wintering mums is just like any other of your perennials. Applying mulch after a good soaking as it begins to freeze at night will help keep the roots more comfortable over the winter. For those of us who are on the tidy side, you can cut them back after several hard freezes when the stems have blackened. I would leave them alone; this will keep the crown of the root system protected.
There are so many colors and styles that anyone garden would have a spot for one of these truly hardy perennials.