Ever feel like you have been exposed to a world that you didn’t even know existed? Last evening, based on the recommendation of a 12-year-old girl, we ventured into Spirit Halloween. She knows my son likes “The Walking Dead” television show and this store features costumes from that show. Thanks to a mother-in-law, who is a former costume designer, I have been able to avoid Halloween stores for every single one of the 15 years I have been a mother. I wish I could have continued to avoid it…just a little longer.
October 31 is almost here and we can’t avoid that. Decorating for Halloween and the fall in general is very popular. If you haven’t completed your decorations, consider adding the following:
Broom corn – This is the type of corn that was originally used in the construction of brooms. It has a deep burgundy color and a fine texture.
Specialty Pumpkins – Pumpkins come in a variety of shapes: oblong, bumpy, and saucer. They also vary by color: blue, grey, and striped, just to name a few. Consider trying a different type of pumpkin this year on your front porch.
Jarrahdale, Knuckle Head, and Moonshine are all great choices. Consider covering your pumpkins with a light sheet when below-freezing temperatures are predicted.
Ornamental kale and cabbage will give you seasonal color for several weeks, maybe even months, past the first frost. They will not however come back next year.
Fall blooming asters are particularly stunning this year. Many people have commented on the ones that are planted along Route 47 and Del Webb Boulevard this year. They are gorgeous. Asters are a perennial flower and will usually come back from year to year.
Fall blooming mums add to the beauty of this time of year. If you have a mum in a container, consider planting it in the ground. It may or may not come back next year. If it does come back, cut it back next summer. Generally, you would want to cut it in half in late June. This will promote a fuller plant.
Annual flowers have given us such joy this summer. Some annual flowers are actually perennial flowers in other parts of the country. They can be successfully kept alive until next spring. You can bring them inside your home or in the back of your garage this fall, water them sparingly throughout the winter and bring them outside again in early May. Geraniums, begonias, oxalis, and herbs are examples of annual flowers that I have seen being successfully overwintered.
In the last column I discussed tying this column in with Halloween through scary gardening stories. Unfortunately, or perhaps thankfully, I did not receive a plethora of stories. So, instead of scary things that happened in the garden I will suggest plants whose names tie into Halloween.
‘Halloween Party’ Daylily is a nice re-blooming daylily. It has purple petals with a yellow throat. Hosta Masquerade has lanced shaped leaves that are primarily white with a green border. ‘Tango Halloween’ Lilium has speckled green and burgundy flowers. Ghost Weigela features pink flowers in the spring with chartreuse foliage throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
Bloodgood Japanese Maple is a gorgeous small ornamental tree with purple foliage. It needs just the right spot to ensure it makes it through our Northern Illinois winters, though. Little Devil Ninebark is a compact version of Physocarpus. Like the Bloodgood Maple, it has gorgeous purple foliage.
Little Mischief and Mystic Fairy Easy Elegance roses are two easy-to-care, long-bloom-time roses. Irises ‘Harvest of Memories’ and ‘Autumn Circus’ are great choices for a fall themed garden. Harvest of Memories has a clear yellow color to the flower and usually blooms in May and again in June. Autumn Circus is a tall, purple bearded iris that may also re-bloom. These are just a few plants to consider if you want to add a bit of interest and fun to your garden.
• Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She will address it in an upcoming column.
