Normally this hellebore blooms around Christmas. This year it bloomed early in November.

Helleborus niger in bloom on November 25, 2011 in my Indiana garden.

Normally this hellebore blooms around Christmas. This year it bloomed early in November.

A video of the Hellebore known as the Christmas rose in bloom in November in my Indiana garden.

Striped ornamental grass and sedum.

Autumn is the perfect time to plant perennials. This gives them the entire fall and winter season to establish themselves. Perennials planted in the fall are ready to begin growing once the spring growing season arrives.

Here is a great selection of perennials for you to plant this fall: aster, blanket flower, cape fuschia, catmint, coreopsis, delphinium, gaura, lavender, penstemon, scabiosa and salvia. Santa Barbara daisies, yarrow and verbena fill out the list. These hard working plants will fill your garden with color.

When planting autumn perennials, don’t forget to choose some spring blooming bulbs such as tulips, daffodils and hyacinth to add color early in the season. Choose bulbs that will naturalize for best results.

Tulips growing with perennials.

To interplant bulbs and perennials, dig each planting hole about ten inches deep. Mix some compost in with the existing soil. Return some of the amended soil to the hole. You will plant the bulbs first, so if they need to be planted eight inches deep, you will add two inches of soil to the hole, then set the bulbs in place.

Make sure to keep all of the bulb wrappers and packages picked up. Critters such as squirrels will search above ground for bits of bulb wrappers. Once they find bits and pieces of bulbs or bulb wrappers, they begin searching for the newly planted bulbs.

Once the bulbs are in place be sure to cover the top of the bulbs with amended soil, then plant your perennials directly above them. Add more compost as a top dressing when you are done. Water your new plants well.

When spring arrives the bulbs will come up and flower. Once those flowers fade the perennial foliage will begin to emerge. The newly emerging perennial foliage will help hide the dying bulb foliage. Within a short time the perennials will be flowering where the bulbs once were.

When choosing perennials to plant a few that bloom early, some that bloom mid-season, and some that bloom in the fall so you get a succession of bloom throughout the season.

These were photos I took during the #GWAIndy2011 symposium in Indianapolis, Indiana. I hope you will enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking the photos and seeing these awesome plants in person.

Banana, coleus, million bells and sweet potato vine 'Blackie.'

I love bright colors in the garden – and what could be more tropical in appearance than this setting? The red coleus really sets off the color in the banana leaves. The dark-colored sweet potato vine is ideal for creating depth. The flowers seem to tie all the colors together.

An array of colorful flowering annuals - which are plants that grow, flower, set seed and die in one growing season.

Nothing says summer like a garden filled with annual flowers that bloom non-stop all season long such as the ones in this picture.

Tall yellow fennel flowers, white hydrangea and an array of flowering perennials - which are plants that come back from their own root system year after year in the garden.

Yellow is my favorite color. Notice how the yellow fennel flowers create a screen – or entryway – that one must look past to see into the garden. The hydrangea is certainly the focal point with its mass of white flowers. The purple flowers harmonize nicely with the white and yellow.

I love the sound of water falling from the fountain into the pond below and the formal look of this garden.

Water and gardens go hand in hand in my mind. I love ponds, waterfalls and fountains. This fountain is in a formal garden, but it wouldn’t have to be. Don’t be afraid to include water in your garden, not only for the soothing sound, but for the wide array of birds, insects and small animals it will attract.

Variegated oleander.

Variegated foliage is all that – and more! Get a load of how nice these pink oleander flowers look against the green and yellow foliage. Yes, this plant is tropical and toxic – but I sure do love it!

Banana and lantana.

Another banana surrounded by lantana! If you live in United States Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 5 or warmer, do plant the Musa basjoo – also known as the hardy banana. You will need to mulch it over winter – but the large, tropical leaves are well worth the extra work!

Silver Thatch Palm.

Grey foliage, such as this palm tree has, creates a cool, soothing effect in the garden – and you can’t beat the awesome look of the fronds!

Long season garden plants are either those that take a long time to flower, produce their crop or fruit for an extended period of time. Many plants will bloom longer if the faded blooms are cut off. This process is known as deadheading. Most plants need an inch of water a week to thrive and while this may not seem like a lot, adequate water goes a long way when it comes to a plant producing at its peak.

Annuals

Coleus, impatiens, petunias, marigolds, sunflowers, zinnias and sweet alyssum add color to the garden all season long. Impatiens are easy-care annuals that grow best in well-drained soil in shade. They do not need deadheaded, but may need cut back from time to time to encourage bushiness. The colorful foliage of coleus lights up the shade garden. Petunias, marigolds, sunflowers, zinnias and sweet alyssum grow best in full sun. Marigolds and some varieties of zinnia benefit from deadheading. Annual plants are those that flower, set seed and die in one season.

Herbs

A variety of herbs will produce all season long if they are kept trimmed so flowers are not produces. Sage, oregano, mint, fennel, dill, basil and parsley are just a few of these herbs. Harvest them fresh as you need them, or cut them back by 1/3 throughout the season and dry the foliage for winter use. Herbs attract a variety of butterflies and beneficial insects into the garden, which is why they should be intermixed with flowers and vegetables. On warm summer days, they release their scent into the air making pathways fragrant. Many of the flowers are edible or work well in bouquets, but allowing them to flower decreases the intensity of their leaves.

Perennials

Season long blooms are easy when you plant bee balm (Monarda), coneflower (Ehcinacea), phlox, yarrow, pincushion (Scabiosa), salvia and balloon flower. Encourage new blooms to form by deadheading on a regular basis. These flowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds and bees into the garden. At the end of the season, allow coneflowers to set seed that goldfinches can enjoy throughout the winter months. These plants will naturalize in your garden if they are happy. Once established they are also quite care-free.

Vegetables

Peanuts, corn, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and onions are vegetables that require a long season to produce. Starting seed indoors or outdoors inside of a cold frame is recommended for gardeners in cold climates. A cold frame is a box-like structure with a clear glass or plastic lid. Vegetables that produce over a long season include tomatoes, cucumbers and beans. Succession planting, which is planting the same crop a week or so apart, will extend the harvest and offer a long season of garden produce.

It’s easy to create a riot of color in the late summer garden by growing perennials that burst into bloom towards the end of the season. Many of the flowers that bloom in late summer offer migrating hummingbirds and butterflies a source of natural nectar that helps sustain them during their long flight home. Many of these plants will bloom right up to the first fall frost. Choose varieties that begin to bloom as your summer flowers are fading.

Turtlehead

The turtle-shaped pink, white or purple blooms are where this native plants gets its common name of turtlehead (Chelone). It is a host plant for the endangered Baltimore checkerspot butterfly. The flower stalks, which contain multiple small flowers, are ideal for cutting. Grow turtlehead in full sun or part shade in moist soil. It is ideal for planting at the edge of a pond or stream. The mature height ranges between 2 and 4 feet. Turtlehead is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 4 through 7.

Monkshood

Monkshood (Aconitum) is best known for the vibrant blue hooded flowers that bloom atop tall spikes in late summer or early autumn. Blue is not the only color the flowers come in however. Some varieties have yellow or ivory flowers. All parts of this plant are toxic so plant it near the center or rear of the flower border to avoid garden guests brushing against it as they walk past. Most varieties reach a mature height of 3 to 4 feet. Grow monkshood in part-shade in well-drained, organic rich, moist soil. Monkshood is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8.

Sedum

Sedum is a well-known late summer bloomer that thrives on neglect. Sedum prefers to grow in well-drained soil slightly on the dry side. Sedum is a succulent. Soil that is too moist or too rich will cause this plant to flop over. Eventually these conditions will kill the plant. Grow sedum in full sun. Sedum comes in a variety of heights from low-growing ground covers that are a mere 9 inches tall or upright varieties that reach a height of 3 feet. Depending on variety, sedum is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9.

Joe-Pye Weed

An ideal plant for naturalizing in moist sites in full sun, or near water, Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium) reaches a mature height of 5 to 7 feet. Gardeners that do not have enough room for a large plant in their garden should look for the dwarf variety which reaches a mature height of 3 to 4 feet. Joe-pye weed grown in other sites needs regular, deep watering in order to thrive. The pale pink or purple flowers bloom from July through September. Bees, butterflies and birds are attracted to the flowers. Joe-pye weed is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 10.