I want to add color to my garden this fall do you have some suggestions?
Try some different cool season annuals. Pansies and snapdragons seem to be the annuals most often seen in winter and early spring gardens in Alabama. But don't limit your self to just these two. There are a number of plants well suited to our cool season gardens.
English daisy (Bellis perennis) is one option. The 8-inch tall plants are suited to planting in front of the shrub border or along paths. It features 1 ½ - inch flowers in a choice of pink, red or white.
Garden forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica) is a taller plant, reaching 12 to 18 inches tall. It has tiny blue flowers held on terminal racemes.
If you like bold colors in your garden, Iceland poppies (Papaver nudicaule) may be just what you're looking for. They generally reach heights of 18 to 24 inches, but there are several more compact varieties available. They come in a wide range of bright colors and bi-colors including orange, yellows, pinks and reds. These poppies have a longer blooming season than Oriental poppies. The Wonderland series holds up well in harsh winter weather. Iceland poppies are biennials that bloom in their second season. For flowers this year, buy transplants from the garden center. If you sow seed, you won't have flowers until next year.
Two final options are cousins to the better known pansies. Viola tri-color is commonly known as Johnny jump-ups or heartsease. Reaching only 7 inches tall, they have purple and yellow flowers about an inch wide. Hybrid viola tri colors are available in purple and white combinations and one that is a deep purple ranging to almost black. These plants re-seed readily, but hybrids may revert to the old-fashioned purple and yellow type.
Another hybrid viola is Vila x. williamsii, commonly called Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Small and compact like other violas, it has 1½ inch blooms that open white and gradually change to light blue and then finally dark blue.
Try some of these for a change of pace in your garden. You may find these in garden centers or order seed from a catalog. Plant in a well-drained site that is located in full sun to partial shade.
