Another installment in what’s turning out to be a series of articles about fall color in the garden, this one the result of my trip to the Mall over the weekend.  So what better place to start admiring the gardens of the Smithsonian than their Butterfly Habitat Garden?  It’s along 9th Street between Constitution and the Mall, and since it was created in 1995 it’s become awesome.

Horticulturist James Gagliardi has been in charge of this garden since June of 2011.

James here tells me he’s entertaining a whole lot more questions from passersby than he did in his last job at River Farm in Alexandria.  In fact, sometimes Smithsonian gardeners have to hunker down and look as busy as possible when the public passes by, just to get through their through list of chores.

I love the combination of well established perennials and colorful, dramatic annuals, like the red Canna and the Lantana that’s still blooming like crazy (in pink and orange) in mid-October.

James shows me another cool annual – the Gomphocarpus.  Its common name is Hairy Balls.  Seriously.

Above, a favorite perennial of mine – Amsonia hubrichtii, which will turn bright orange any day now.  It sports tiny blue flowers in early summer, and is a tough native in our region.

Of course a butterfly habitat garden is going to have lots of asters, and they’re going to look great in October.

Next door, the cafe at the Sculpture Garden (the one with the skating rink) has these gorgeous Mandevilla vines growing along its facade.

Along Constitution Avenue I spotted this fabulous garden in front of the Museum of American Natural History.   Great mix of sweet potato vines and coleus, with others I didn’t recognize.

UPDATE:  In a comment, the Smithsonian’s supervisory horticulturist Jonathan Kavelier tells us “these plantings also include Amaranthus and Cuphea as well as many other annuals and tropicals. The cycad is Zamia furfuraceae.”  Thanks!

Here’s another view of the American History gardens, with a close-up of the bizarre-looking cycad.  In the front are two sweet potato vines, and the taller purple plant is Persian Shield.

Finally, I always stop in at the Ripley Garden when I’m anywhere near it because it’s usually gorgeous, and always interesting. In the front is probably the annual Penta.

I DO know the purple plant here is an elephant ear. The red flowers in front? I don’t know.

In front, a Variegated Tapioca Plant. Behind it, an annual hibiscus.

You’ve probably noticed the Variegated Tapioca Plants at the front entrance to our Beltsville store.

Posted by  Susan Harris.

Ever heard of Dendranthemas?  Me, neither.  They used to be one of the types of Chrysanthemums but that genus was split in 1961 and now we have this new term for them.  Other terms include “perennial chrysanthemums” and “garden mums,” as opposed to what are sometimes called “florist mums.”

I became interested in this new name and the plants behind them after discovering them in the Behnkes Perennial Department the other day.  From the photos on the signs, they resemble daisies and indeed daisies used to be in the same genus before the “splitters” of  the hort nomenclature world got hold of them and declared them something else.  (They like to keep us on our toes.)  Other dendranthemas have double flowers and that look exactly like the mums we’re used to seeing this time of year.

All of these tough perennials are deer-resistant, great for cutting, and bloom from early fall until frost on 3′ tall bushes.  The plant can be made shorter and bushier by cutting them back half-way or even sheared to the ground (advice varies) in early summer – before July 4.  They can also be kept at their best – and shared with friends – by dividing them every three years or so.

They’re on sale - 1/2 off – and there’s a nice choice:

- Clara Curtis, a favorite of horticulturist Carol Allen, has single blooms in a salmony pink.

- Cambodian Queen has single pink blooms, sh own below left.

- Brandywine Sunset has single peach-colored blooms.

- Mei-kyo has double lavender blooms.

- Venus has single pale pink blooms.

- Yellow Sheffield has single yellow with pink overtone.

About those “Florist Mums”
But how about the common mums we see everywhere in the fall, the ones that are so often tossed, grown only as annuals?  I asked Carol Allen about them and she swears that they come back every year for her, so come to find out, they’re perennial, too.  In subsequent years they won’t be quite as short and full as they are when you buy them because they were carefully raised to look that way, but if you cut them back once or even twice before that July 4 date, they’ll do very well in your perennial garden.

Just a few of the color choices available right now.

Posted by  Susan Harris.

My new garden in Old Greenbelt is far smaller than the one I left behind – that was the idea, after all.  But though smaller, it’s still a brand new garden, and mostly empty.  Calculating how much it would cost to fill it with perennials is discouraging, so I asked the staff at Behnkes to point out annuals that will fill up my garden next year, for no additional cost.

And the good news is that there are lots of them.  So here’s the batch I’m investing in this year – very little money – for an even big pay-off next year.

Salvia ‘Black and Blue’ and ‘Victoria Blue‘

These deep blue beauties are reliable self-sowers and great at attracting pollinators.   Gardeners chatting on one large online forum agree that while not cold-hardy, they definitely come back each year from seed.

 Impatiens

Again, the forums are full of reports of this annual spreading by seed.   Also reported is the tip that now’s the time to “pinch and poke” any impatiens that may be getting leggy about now (late June through mid-July).  Just know that next year’s impatiens may be a different color than this year’s.

Now who can resist the combination of long-haired cat and red impatiens shown in this photo?  Or honestly, this cat with anything – he’s awesome!

Portulaca

This Brazilian succulent is unusually drought-tolerant among annuals, so great for the low-maintenance gardener.   They’re available in a range of bright colors and when young, they’re even edible.

Portulaca (L) and Cleome (R)

Cleome

Cleomes are unusual among annuals for their height – 36 to 72 feet by mid-summer – and for their wonderful sparkler-type shape.  Commonly named Spider  Flower, they’re quite heat-tolerant, and loved by both birds and butterflies.

Marigolds

Marigolds in the garden, and in garlands across Asia.

Marigolds are practically a staple in vegetable gardens because they naturally repel nematodes and other garden pests, including rabbits, deer and rodents.  They’re often seen planted along rows of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and potatoes, to good effect.  Yet miraculously, they attract the bugs we like – butterflies.

And all but the most hybridized varieties of marigolds are reliable self-seeders, especially if you deadhead the blooms and drop them onto the ground.

Interestingly, marigolds are by far the most popular flower throughout India, Nepal and Thailand for making the garlands that are ever-present in religious rituals.

Posted by Susan Harris. Photo credits.  Salvia.   Impatiens with cat. Portulaca.  Cleome.  Marigolds in garden.  Marigolds in Nepal.

Mums look awesome with stone. Who'd have thought?

by Susan Harris
I may get called an “experienced gardener” but I’m no plant snob and I actually prefer the more common plants.  They’re usually cheaper and easier, and I like trying to use them in unique ways.  Plus, if they’re annuals, like most mums, I get to try different ones every year.  And as the season winds down, mums are just soooo colorful.  Check out these examples of mums used in fun ways.

I asked Behnkes’ Sissy McKenzie about mums and she advises buying them NOW for the best assortment of colors, sizes and bloom types.  Colors available include red, yellow, lavender/pink, bronze, and more.

Mums with Japanese maples at Brookside Gardens

Sissy’s Design Tips for Mums
Mums are the divas of the fall garden!  They can be mass planted to make a colorful edge to any garden.  They can be used to accent a flower bed or to set on a door step for a brilliant show of color.   They also make wonderful companions to your fall decorations, adding color around pumpkins, corn stalks, gourds – they add great texture and color to any decorations.

Mums also make excellent container plants, decorating your deck, front porch or pool area.

Sissy’s Mum-Growing Tips
Mums are a full sun plant, so remember at least 6 hours of sunlight is important to the health of your plant.  Mums need to be regularly watered and feed once a month to keep their leaf color.

Potted mums outside Behnkes in Beltsville

Seen in a Japanese garden.

Mums Up-Close

Photographers love using their macro lenses on mums!

Photo credits:  Mums with stone.  Massed with bamboo screen.  In Japan.  In collage:  upper left,  upper right, both lower photos.  Brookside and Behnkes photos by Susan Harris.

by Mary Ellen Gaspard, Behnkes in Potomac

Last week’s night-time temperatures in the low 30s had the Potomac store staff scrambling to tuck in our tender young plants under their blankies!  We’re not out of the cold weather woods yet, either; our frost-free safety date here in zone 7 is around Mother’s Day.

However, while summer annual plants may suffer from a hard frost (temperatures of 32F or below) without a light cover like an old bedsheet or even newspapers, there are many cool weather loving plants in their prime right now.

Flowering color is a major desire after a long winter, and we have a wonderful assortment of beautiful pansies (if someone calls you a pansy, that’s a real compliment since these prolific bloomers have been known to bloom through light snow!), dianthus, ranunculus, snapdragons, Pot n’ Patio asters, Easter Bonnet alyssum, diascia and more, in full blossom and ready to bloom for you for weeks to come.

Perennial phlox is in full, gorgeous spring bloom in a carpet of color.  Also flowering for you are camellias, ornamental cherries, and other spring trees and shrubs.  All these can be planted NOW, even if spring temperatures seem more like winter from time to time.

If edibles are on your spring wish list, lettuce show you our awesome selection of cool weather veggies, including Brussels sprouts; broccoli; white and yellow cauliflower; white and red cabbage; an assortment of greens including collards and mustard greens (which have pretty red veining); and a variety of lettuces including Butter Crunch, Red Sails, Salad Bowl combination, and Mesclun Mix.  Greens you grow yourself taste so much better than the bagged and boring stuff from the grocery store!

This is also a good time to plant our hardy herbs, such as chives, parsley, rosemary and thyme, but wimpy basil wants to sit on a sunny indoor windowsill until outdoor temps remain at 50F or above.

Fruits, including strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and grapes are growing fast and are also ready to plant now!   Strawberries can perform for you right from a pot in the sunshine on your porch or patio, or out in the garden.  Blueberry bushes are leafing out and will give you fat, juicy berries in early summer, then provide colorful foliage in fall.  Blackberry and grape vines are looking for your fence or one of our classy trellises to climb up.

Limited space?  Try combining edibles with flowers in your pots! Red sails lettuce complements pansies, ranunculus, and dianthus in the pot shown.

Don’t forget to pick and eat the lettuce, so it will keep producing for you, and use a pansy flower for a lovely spring ornament on a dinner plate or serving platter.

So don’t let cloudy days and chilly nights make you run for cover.  Many plants love our cool, damp spring weather, so grab your jacket and enjoy them!