A September scene at Montreal's Botanical Garden.
The Garden Website for September
Video: Coleus: Overwintering and Cuttings
New: Fall Garden Chores
Planting Spring Flowering Bulbs - September Vegetables - Garden Classes
Ripen Tomatoes Faster - It's Planting Time! - Garden Beds TLC
Saving Tomato Seeds - Saving Fuchsias - Lawn Care for Sept - Fall Pruning - Get Ready for Winter
September Garden Chores - September Roses - Tropicals & Houseplants
Plant Police - Plant of the Month: Sneezeweed
New: Fall Garden Chores
Planting Spring Flowering Bulbs - September Vegetables - Garden Classes
Ripen Tomatoes Faster - It's Planting Time! - Garden Beds TLC
Saving Tomato Seeds - Saving Fuchsias - Lawn Care for Sept - Fall Pruning - Get Ready for Winter
September Garden Chores - September Roses - Tropicals & Houseplants
Plant Police - Plant of the Month: Sneezeweed
A bountiful September harvest.
September Intro
Alison's lovely black peppers surpassed mine by a mile!
Dear Fellow Gardeners,
I’m impressed with all the lovely gardens that obviously bring joy to their owners in their accompanying neighbourhoods. There are many avid gardeners out there, some of them have been at it for years, while others are quite ‘green’’ and are learning as they go. It’s nice to see new gardeners become besotted with the world’s oldest and most popular pastime (not profession). It happens innocently enough as plants start to grow and a vision of what could be takes hold. Like most gardeners, I enjoy slipping my hands into the earth, but I do think that gardening is the ultimate power trip. The ability to plant a seed that grows into a tomato plant, a sunflower or a tree is just so remarkable. That’s the ‘hook’ that turns ordinary people into gardeners, some even become addicted. I know, it’s crazy, but true. They want to possess beautiful and unusual plants. These people live among us, and I admit that I am one of those people. I know you are surprised, but I confess that I don’t have control when faced with a bodacious beauty. Gardeners become fellow enablers to this ‘green’ addiction as they share their plants and ideas. It brings plant lovers together and you never run out of things to talk about. I am so impressed with my good friend Alison, a new gardener, who has created a bountiful garden in just a few years. Her black pepper plant is much nicer than mine. I grew it from seed, but it thrived in her care. She’s also a few steps ahead of me with her winter veggie garden. It's already green with sprouted carrots and garlic while other beds have covered with sprouted crimson clover. As this year’s growing season comes to an end, I wish to congratulate you on all your successes; for that one ripe tomato; for the seeds that didn’t die and the shrub you hacked back too far, but luckily didn’t kill. It’s the small things that affirm that we are gardeners, no matter how many plants that don’t make it to September. Cheers and happy gardening. Amanda 
Alison's winter garden is well on its way.
Overwintering ColeusSeptember PLANT COMBO
A September plant combo for sun looks good for months.
This striking September display for a sunny location combines the feathery flower spikes of the ‘Regal’ poker plant/torchlily (Kniphofia caulescens 'Regal') and the tufted daisy-like orange blossoms of the ‘Supreme Cantaloupe’ coneflower (Echinacea 'Supreme Canataloupe'). The lacy chartreuse foliage in the foreground belongs to ‘Amber Gold’ arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Jantar'). The strappy striped foliage on the right is ‘Morning Light’ maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light’).
The Morning Light maiden grass bears narrow arching green leaves with creamy stripes and grows to 5 feet by 4 feet. It reddish feathery plumes appear in late summer about the same time as the poker plant and the coneflower put forth their orange and yellowish blossoms. The intricate yellow-green evergreen foliage of the Amber Gold arborvitae provides colour all year and adds a dramatic accent. This small conifer is perfect for small gardens as it only grows to 15 feet by 4 feet. The Regal torch lily flower spikes grows to 40 inches, which hummingbirds love. The Supreme Cantaloupe coneflower grows up to 30 inches and bears double, orange fragrant flowers that also attract butterflies. |
Amanda's Garden Blog & New articles
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Watering Restrictions ContinueFor Metro Vancouver, B.C.
Water restrictions continue to October 15. Special permits are given for new plantings, including lawns. For more information, click here. If you don’t live in Metro Vancouver, contact your local municipality. Garden Classes in Langley
Learn how to garden and have fun at the same time.
For more information click on the titles below to be redirected to the Fraser Valley Continuing Education, held at Credo Christian High School, Langley
Getting Ready for Fall: Saturday, Oct 23 2021, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, $59.99 Lawn Alternatives: Wednesday, Oct 13 2021, 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, $29.99 Lawn Care: Wednesday, Oct 6 2021, 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, $29.99 Pruning the Right Way: Saturday, Sept 18 2021, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Due to its popularity, it is also being offered on Saturday, Sept 25 2021, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, $59.99 Pruning Lessons in Your Garden
Learn how and what to prune in your garden.
What to prune now? How to prune? What tools to use? How far can a plant be cut back? All are great questions. Register here for a hands-on pruning lesson in your own garden.
Garden Consultations
Need help figuring what to do in your garden? Make an appointment for Amanda to come to your garden to show you how to grow food, sow seeds, prune, design beds etc. Get Amanda to teach you the ropes by making an appointment here.
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September Garden Stars
Tutsan or sweet-amber, Hypericum androsaemum, deciduous shrub, 2-3’, sun to part shade, yellow bloom in summer followed by red berries. Cut flowers, drought tolerant. Zones 5 to 8.
Goldfinger cinquefoil, Potentilla fruticosa 'Goldfinger', deciduous shrub, blooms late spring into fall, 2-3’ tall & wide. Zones 2 to 8.
Charity Oregon holly, Mahonia x media 'Charity', broadleaf evergreen shrub, 10’x5’, sun to part shade. Zones 7 to 9.
Autumn Joy Sedum, Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude', herbaceous perennial, sun, 1.5-3', attracts butterflies, drought tolerant. Zones 3 to 9.
Peegee hydrangea, H. paniculata 'Grandiflora', deciduous shrub or tree, 10’-25’ x 8’-16’, blooms stay from July into winter, sun, part shade. Zones 3 to 8.
Fall aster, (Aster spp.) herbaceous perennial, 10"- 6’ x 10"- 4’ , attracts, butterflies and bees. Zones 4 to 8. Click on the pic for more.
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Black-eyed-Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida, herbaceous perennial, 2 ft, sun, part shade, Zones 4 to 9.
Ornamental kale, Brassica oleracea var. acephalabiennial, 1’x 15”, grown for foliage, sun to part shade. Zones 2-9. Click on the pic for more.
Sweet autumn clematis/virgins bower, Clematis terniflora, deciduous vine, 15-30ft, fragrant, sun, part shade. Zones 5 to 9
Autumn crocus, Colchicum autumnale, corm, 6 - 10”, leaves die back in summer, flowers appear in fall, sun to shade. Zones 4 to 8. Click on the pic for more.
Maidenhair ornamental grass, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’, 4-7ft x 3-6ft, copper blooms age to silver from fall thru winter, sun to part shade, attracts birds, drought tolerant. Zones 5-9
White Fountain bush clover, Lespedeza thunbergii, deciduous shrub, 4- 6’ x 4-12’, sun part shade. Zones 4-8
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'Karl Foester' feather reed grass, Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster', herbaceous perennial, 3’-5’ x 2’-2.5’, flowers May to Feb, sun, moist soils. Zones 5 to 9.
Mountain ash, Sorbus aucuparia, deciduous tree, 20' - 40' x 10'-20', spring flowers, fall orange berry clusters attract birds, sun to part shade, dislikes drought. Zones 3 to 6. Click on the pic for more.
Chrysanthemum, herbaceous perennial, 1-3’ x 1-2’, many flower colours and flowers from September to frost. Zones 5 to 9.
Devil’s walking stick, Aralia spinosa, deciduous shrub or small tree, 10’-20’ x 6’-10’, thorny stems, blooms July, Aug, black berries in fall, attracts birds. Zones 4 to 9. Click on the pic for more.
Purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, herbaceous perennial, 15” to 18” x 12” to 16”, sun, part shade, attracts butterflies, July into fall. Zones 4 to 8.
Pink Japanese anemone, Anemone tomentosa ‘Robustissima’, herbaceous perennial, 4ft, sun, part shade. Zones 5 to 9.
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plant police
This picture is a prime example of incorrect planting. It was sent to me by one of my alumni students when he visited Redwoods Park, Surrey, BC.
It's obvious that the tree pictured above wasn't planted properly. If your trees have a thin canopy and branches are dying back at their tips, then it could be they were planted incorrectly. It takes about 5 years after a tree has been installed for the symptoms to appear.
Incorrect planting is one of the main reasons why trees die a slow death long after the person who planted it has left the scene. It is an issue in the landscaping industry caused by a lack of education. A landscaper is not just someone with a shovel, chain saw, lawn mower and a pick up truck. Ignorance is no excuse for bad planting. The featured plant above was supposedly planted by a Surrey parks crew, which makes this all the more distressing. So what's the problem with this tree? Because it was improperly planted, a root has wrapped around the trunk. Eventually this root will strangle the tree, which is referred to as 'girdling'. It's also planted too high, hence the roots sticking out of the ground. To add insult to injury, the burlap and has not peeled back and cut off. When planting a B&B (ball & burlap) tree or shrub, remove all string and wire. Pull down and cut off the burlap as far as you can without destroying the rootball. The correct method of planting is detailed in The Canadian Landscape Standards. This method also applies to all ball and burlap plants throughout the world, so matter where you live, make sure your plants are planted correctly. For more on how to plant click on Planting Know-How. Special thanks to Tyler Sully for the great picture and keen eye. 
A happily planted tree.
How to Ripen TOmatoes faster
Cut stems back to a tomato to encourage remaining fruit to ripen.
To speed up ripening, mix 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts to one gallon of water. Either apply to the soil or mist the foliage. Avoid spraying plants in full sun. Ease up on the watering but don’t allow plants to wilt. Some judicious pruning will also concentrate the plant’s energy so it ripens existing fruit instead of producing new ones.
Remove:
It's Planting Time!
Get thee to a plant nursery as now is the perfect time for planting.
Autumn is the best time of the year for planting trees, shrubs, perennials and vines. Roots eagerly grow into the warm soil heated by the summer sun. Returning rains provide much needed moisture and the days are shorter, cooler and gentler. This is also a great time to buy new plants as most nurseries have their plants on sale. Selection is often slim, but I can’t help saving plants in need, especially if the price it right. There’s more to planting that shoving a plant into the ground. To learn more click on Planting Know-How. For fall colour click on Colourful Fall Plants
Garden Beds TLC
When host leaves turn yellow, it's time to cut them back.
Garden beds always need some tweaking and autumn is the perfect time of the year to transplant, divide, cut back, and discard plants.
Where to start? Well the first thing to do is make a plan, then inspect and assess the garden and the plants. Move any that are in the wrong place: too much shade, too much sun or need more space. Water those that need it after such a hot and dry summer, and feed the hungry ones. Discard those plants that are too far gone and ones that are dead. Cut back, divide and transplant perennials that need it. Remove and transplant overstuffed garden beds or enlarge ones that just too small. And weed of course then finish up with a layer of mulch. Once that's all done, if you need some fall colour check out local plant nurseries for autumnal delights to add to your garden. For more details on preparing garden beds in fall click on Fall Garden Chores. For veggie beds click on my blog post putting-the-garden-to-bed.html. 
It's so nice when fall clean up is done and all the beds are mulched. Yay!
September Vegetable Gardening
Yes, it looks ugly, but not for long once the yellow and dead foliage of the Swiss chard and broccoli are removed, and the bed weeded and mulched.
The same plants looking marvelous once they have been cleaned up.
Harvesting: When harvesting, discard any buggy or diseased produce, plants and plant parts from plants and the ground. This prevents diseases and insects from overwintering to re-infest next year’s crops. It’s not a good idea to compost infected plants unless you have a hot compost, 50 to 66° Celsius (122°-155°F) for a few days. For more on composting click here.
Cool Crops: Clean up your kale, chard, broccoli and other cool crops by removing yellow leaves and such. For more information on the best stage to harvest specific crops, click here. Cover Crops: Don’t leave the ground bare for winter after harvesting your veggies, sow a green manure (cover crop) such as crimson clover or annual rye. This reduces soil erosion, nutrient leaching from winter rains and prevents weeds. Once the crop is turned under in the spring it also builds and boosts soil. Or mulch bare beds with heaps of fallen leaves. Thick layers quickly pack down but light layers easily blow away, so add as much as you can. For more on cover crops click here. 
Plant cover crops on bare veggie beds to protect and build soil. Click on the picture for more. (Cocoa's such a ham.)
How to Save Tomato Seeds
This delicious tomatoes are originally from saved seeds from grocery store tomatoes.
I have grown many tomatoes from the ones I bought at the grocery store. After purchasing some really tasty odd shaped cherry tomatoes, I saved some of the seeds to grow in my garden. In order for the seeds to be viable, they need to be fermented or they might not germinate. For step-by-step instructions click on Saving Tomato Seeds.
The jelly-like substance surrounding tomato seeds prevents germination.
Lawn Care for September
Fall is great time to sow some grass seed and renovate lawns.
Lawns in the northern hemisphere often suffer from the heat and drought of summer. They become weedy, pale and sparse. In fall, the lower temperatures, shorter days and fall rains certainly help, but some TLC goes a long way. If you want to renovate your existing lawns or install a new one, now is the perfect time of the year. It’s cool and rainy and the upcoming winter weather also helps to establish new roots, which leads to a happy lawn.
Mow: Cut northern grasses at 2.5 to 3 inches. Don’t go lower as it stresses the grass plants. Mow often, only removing 1/3rd of the leaf blades off at a time, which means you have to mow more often, but the grass will love you for it. Fertilize: In September, apply a slow release, preferably organic fertilizer high in nitrogen (first number) to stimulate active growth. Look for one with low numbers that also contain all three elements – nitrogen, phosphorus and potash, ex: 8-5-3. Avoid applying a massive amount of nitrogen; this is not the right time of the year and besides, you’ll go crazy trying to keep up with the mowing. Winterizing: Apply a winterizer fertilizer a couple of weeks before your first frost date. Select one with low nitrogen and high potash ex: 3-5-10. If you want to know more about fertilizers and ratios click on Fertilizers & Ratios Lime: Before applying lime, check the pH. Although you can buy kits where garden products are sold, they are often not very accurate. It’s best to submit a sample to a soil test lab. They are not only more precise, they also test for nutrients and provide vital clues to your soil health. When purchasing lime, select Dolopril as it much gentler on the soil and is less prone to burn the lawn if over-applied. Don’t apply fertilizer within 3 weeks of applying lime, as the nitrogen is lost to the air. Aerate: To relieve compacted soil and to reduce thatch, aerate first before fertilizing and liming. Do it now or wait until spring. Rent a core aerator or hire someone as those machines are heavy and cumbersome. Fix Sparse Lawns: To thicken sparse lawns, sow grass seed on top of the existing lawn. Water the day before, especially if it’s dry and water again after sowing the seeds. Try to time this when there’s daily rain predicted so the seeds don’t dry out or just put a sprinkler on. Fix Bare Patches: Rake any bare spots to rough up the soil then add approximately ½ inch of compost or triple mix (3 equal parts of topsoil, peat and compost) or a garden blend soil mix. Kill Weed Seeds: Apply corn gluten to kill seedlings as they germinate but don’t apply if you have just over-seeded the lawn as it will kill them too. Frost: Keep off the grass when it is frozen as it breaks off their crowns, which kills them, and certainly don’t mow. To learn more click on any of the following topics: Lawn Reno, Seed & Sod, Lawn Basics, Moss in Lawns, Lawn Grub Control, Lawn Alternatives, Lawn Maintenance Schedule Fall Pruning
Don't prune spring flowering plants now as you will be removing all their flowers. Saucer magnolia (M. soulangeana) pictured.
At this time of year it is tempting to cut everything back so the garden is neat and tidy, but please don’t. They need their foliage and branches to make and store food in preparation for winter. Cutting them back now deprives them of that food.
It's best to trim cedar hedges before September. If you haven't and they need to be trimmed do it asap.
Getting Ready For WInter
Winter is on its way.
Shorter days and cooler temperatures signal plants that winter is on its way. Plants prepare by storing the food that their leaves have produced in their roots. This is why it’s important to refrain from pruning and cutting back plants when they still have their foliage on during autumn.
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September Garden Chores
Baby Sun coreopsis flowers all summer and through autumn.
Please note that coloured text are linked to another page on this website or another website. Some of the pictures are also linked and will redirect you if you click on them.
Take cuttings from your favorite plants, including coleus and other bedding plants.
Bedding Plant, Annuals Cuttings: Take cuttings from tender annuals to grow inside to use as houseplants and for stock plants next spring: coleus, impatiens, fuchsias and geraniums.
Cuttings: Take semi-hardwood cuttings from trees, shrubs and vines. To learn more click on Taking Cuttings. 
Harvest: Keep harvesting crops and discard those that are diseased and buggy, including infected plants.
Refrain from cutting back ornamental grasses in the fall.
Deadhead or Not? Remove dead flowers from late blooming perennials and annuals to further their blooming, however don’t deadhead flowers on ornamental grasses, sedums, sunflowers and coneflowers as the birds appreciate the seeds and they look darn attractive in the snow.
Beds & Borders: Cut back perennials, remove spent annuals and any diseased or buggy plants. Don’t remove fallen leaves and other plant debris on top of the soil unless it is diseased or buggy. To top up mulch on beds use fallen leaves as they are beneficial and full of nutrients. 
Dig up dahlias once they are hit with frost.
Dahlias: Keep dead-heading until frost kills their tops, then dig them up and store in a frost free place. To learn how to store dahlias click here.
Tuberous Begonias: Bring them inside and store them. Click on Tuberous Begonias for more Houseplants & Tropicals: Bring them inside well before they decline, and before frost. For more details on the process click on Houseplant Winter Care 
Go to your local plant nursery for winter veggie starter plants.
Winter Veggies: Sow seeds or purchase starter plants of kale, broccoli, cabbage, peas, brussel sprouts and other cool season crops. For more on winter veggies click here.
Potatoes: Harvest potatoes, but let them dry in a cool, dark area for a couple of days before storing. For more click here. 
Mophead hydrangeas still look good this time of year so you might want to wait until they are dormant to prune them.
Hydrangeas: Don’t cut stems too far back, just remove flowers just above plump green buds. Severe pruning will prevent flowering. It’s a good time to remove really old branches, spindly and dead one at their base. You can also wait until winter up to the end of February to prune if you want to keep the flower heads on throughout winter.
Transplant: Don’t wait until spring to move plants around the garden. Fall transplanting is more successful compared to spring.
Lawns: Renovate sad lawns, fix patches and plant new lawns with either seed or sod. 
Sow canterbury bells and other biennial seeds through fall.
Sow Seeds: Scatter seeds from foxgloves, hollyhocks, sweet Williams, Canterbury bells and poppies. Remove weeds and use a rake to rough up the ground, then sow the seeds. Press them firmly into the ground and label so you don’t forget where they are come spring.
Raspberries: Cut back raspberry canes that fruited this year to their base. 
Get on those weeds and start pulling. Common sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus) pictured.
Weeds: Dig up weeds when ground is wet. Apply corn gluten to kill germinating weed seeds, such as shepherd’s purse and chickweed. Do not apply where you have recently sown desirable seed.
Compost: Turn weekly and water when needed. Avoid adding plants that have gone to seed, are infested with bugs and/or diseases. Add fall leaves for the carbon (brown) layer. Save some to add later. 
Save the Leaves: Rake fallen leaves from the lawn into beds for a free and effective organic mulch.
Cold frames, Greenhouses: Clean out and disinfect all flat surfaces, especially if diseases and insects were present.
Disinfect: Use bleach, soap & water to sterilize pots, starter trays, cell packs, flats and drainage trays so their ready for spring. Pictures: Take pictures of the garden and make entries into your garden journal regarding successes and any learning experiences, while it is still fresh in your head. 
Containers: Fix up tired planters by removing spent plants and adding new ones with some fresh compost. Click here for more.
September Roses
Buff Beauty, a hybrid musk rose, doesn't seem to know it's September.
Climate dictates whether roses are still going strong or are shutting down for winter. When plants start to fade and go into dormancy it’s a good idea to give them a light pruning, emphasis on the ‘light’. Cutting back roses too far in the fall leaves them vulnerable to winterkill.
Remove all spent flowers to an outward facing 5 to 7 leaflet, unless you want them to mature into colourful rosehips. Remove all dead, dying, broken, diseased, spindly and old canes. Loppers are a good idea to remove thick canes. Pull or cut any suckers that have grown from under the bud union on grafted varieties. Suckers are more vigorous and bigger than the rest of the canes. Remove all spent foliage from the ground. Cut back overly long canes to a side branch or outward facing node or leaf. Water after pruning if soil is dry. To protect plants from winter damage, cover their crowns (where stems & roots meet) with three inches of soil or fall leaves. Unless rose leaves are yellow and the plant is obviously hungry, don’t fertilize. Subsequent new growth is susceptible to frost injury and you don’t want active growth this time of year. For more on roses click here for the Rose Section. For more on pruning roses click on Pruning Roses. 
Don't deadhead this time of year if you want colourful rosehips. Pictured 'Hansa' rugose rose.
Planting Bulbs
Don't wait to purchase spring flowering bulbs and they go fast.
The ideal time to plant spring flowering bulbs is from late September through October, however you can plant until the ground freezes. With that said, the earlier the better. It gives them time to grow lots of sturdy roots and the adequate amount of chilling months for bodacious blossoms. Purchase bulbs now for the best selection, as stores sell out quickly. Select large bulbs, as the bigger they are the bigger the blossoms. They should be free of disease and rot. To read more on where to plant, how to plant, click here.
Bulbs - Preventing Critters & Planting: To stop squirrels, voles, chipmunks, skunks and other critters from digging up and devouring spring flowering bulbs such as tulips and crocus, there are a few things you can do. More Spring Flowering Bulbs
Design Tips: To create cool colour combos, make sure all the bulbs flower at the same time. Note their heights, placing tall ones at the back and keep it simple with just a couple of colours. Alternately, to extend the season, select early, mid and later season bloomers, as identified on their labels. Plant bulbs in groups for a greater visual impact instead of a single row. For more click here.
Planting bulbs in containers is an easy way to deal with dying bulb foliage. Once flowers are finished, just move the planter out of sight.
Tropicals & Houseplants
Bring in tropical plants like this flamingo flower (Anthurium).
Bring in houseplants and other tropical plants that were kept outside during the summer. Do it as soon as possible before they start to decline. These include tuberous begonias, fuchsias, citrus, impatiens, coleus, cannas, geraniums, mandevillas, bougainvilleas, palm trees, angel trumpets (Brugmansia & Datura), allamandas, tender jasmines and oleanders. Toss out any buggy or disease ridden plants as they will only infect the others. Read more Saving Geraniums, Coleus, Bougainvillea and other tender plants. To learn how to overwinter click on dahlias or tuberous begonias. To protect outdoor grown banana plants and palm trees click here.
Saving Fuchsias
Instead of buying new fuchsias every year, try to overwinter them.
There are two methods of saving tender fuchsias: inside and outside depending on how far north you live. If you live in cooler zones from 1 to 6, overwinter them inside. Store in a cool dry place, 4-7°C (45-55°F), such as a basement. Water every 3 to 4 weeks to slightly moisten the soil, but don’t soak it.
To overwinter fuchsias outside, bury them in the garden, pot and all. Cover them with 3 to 4 inches of soil, fallen leaves or another organic mulch. Unbury them in March. The top growth will probably be dead, but the roots should be alive. Replant them with fresh soil, water and keep them away from any lingering frost. September Arrangement
September's flowers include yellow wax bells, garden phlox, coneflowers, cigar plant and dahlias.
For more details on this arrangement click on Monthly Arrangements.
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Plant of the month
Sneezeweed
Helenium autumnale
'Helena' is a mixed cultivar with numerous colour variations and grow to 2 feet.
'Rubinzwerg' is a compact cultivar with mahogany coloured petals.
A variety of heleniums mix with a collection of cone flowers along this sunny perennial border.
Many seeds form in tufts atop stems.
Flowers are coveted by bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
There many different varieties including this one that has a prominent ball for the centre disk with drooping ray petals.
Heleniums make a statement with all their sunny flowers.
Keeping it simple with a single type of helenium planted en masse.
Heleniums flower for months from late July through to first frost.
'Bandera' is a compact cultivar that reaches 18 inches.
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Common Name: sneezeweed
Botanical Name: Helenium autumnale Form: upright, clumping Family: Asteraceae Genus: Helenium Species: autumnale Plant Type: herbaceous perennial Mature Size: 3-5 ft. tall and 2-3 ft wide Growth: fast Origin: North and South Americas Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8 Foliage: narrow lance-shaped up to 6” long, alternate Flowers: showy daisy-like, composite 2” flowers held in clusters, wedge-shaped, scalloped petal tips, yellow and/or orange ray petals encircle a protruding pollen laden disk. Late July to frost. Fruit: rust coloured seed clusters Stems: winged stems that branch at the ends Exposure: sun Soil: tolerant of most soil except very dry Uses: perennials borders, mixed borders, containers, meadows, naturalized areas, cottage gardens, pollinators, butterflies, songbirds, rain garden, along streams & ponds, cut flower, deer resistant Propagation: seeds, division of roots Pruning: cut back stems in late May to early June to encourage compact growth, more flowers and to reduce the need for staking, deadhead spent flowers to encourage continuous blooms Problems: not prone to insects or diseases, intolerant of dry soils Comments: This delightful and showy late blooming perennial has many assets, except for its name –sneezeweed. Once used as snuff, their dried leaves were inhaled to rid the body of evil spirits. Now it’s used as a reliable, easy growing perennial, perfect for sunny locations that flowers for months long after other flowers have faded. Plant breeders have created new and exciting varieties and cultivars from this wetland loving indigenous plant from the Americas. Colours now range from yellow, orange, deep reds and golds in delightful combinations. Flowers are bigger and more bodacious on smaller and more compact plants. Their daisy-like, composite flowers are perfect for butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects. Their round centre provide a perfect place for them to land so they can easily feed on the copious amounts of pollen. Heleniums like moist organic rich soil and are a perfect late summer and fall flower when planted next to streams, ponds and raingardens. To increase soil moisture and retention, add compost, composted manure and other organic matter. 
Leaves are simple and lance-shaped.
Pinch the tips off stems in May to early June to promote compact growth and more flowers.
Ridges along the stems are a good way to identify heleniums.
This five year old helenium needs dividing.
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THE GARDEN WEBSITE INDEX
for the tropical Gardener
While working in Florida as horticultural consultant, it became apparent that there was a need for a book on tropical shrubs. There are so many wonderful shrubs to choose from, so I wrote a reference book to make the selections easier. Ornamental Tropical Shrubs includes pictures in full colour and information about the plants in point form. So if you live in the tropics and subtropics and need a reference book on tropical shrubs, or you just want to have a look-see click here.
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