Q: What are some low-maintenance flowers and bushes I can plant this autumn, and how much day-to-day attention do they require?
A: Fall is the best time for planting most ornamentals in Georgia. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong if you consult the Georgia Gold Medal plant list. Each year, the Georgia Gold Medal Plant Committee selects flowers, shrubs, trees, groundcovers and vines that are well-adapted throughout most of Georgia, readily available and provide seasonal interest. An added bonus is that all are low maintenance once established! Here are a few seasonal options:
Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis) - A shade-tolerant, deer-resistant, flowering evergreen groundcover. Planted in moist, nutrient-rich soil, this plant thrives in a forest setting and in shady borders. This winter bloomer’s flowers can last 8-10 weeks and come in shades of green, cream, magenta, plum and rose.
Lavender Twist® Redbud, (Cercis canadensis “Covey”) - This beautiful specimen tree grows up to 15 feet tall and wide and thrives when planted in moist, well-drained soils with full sun to partial shade. Lavender, pea-like blossoms precede heart-shaped leaves in the summer, and this deciduous tree’s bare branches create a beautiful sculpture in winter.
Arkansas Blue Star (Amsonia hubrectii) – This deer-resistant perennial is a traffic stopper in fall, when the foliage turns golden yellow and glows when sunlight strikes it. Drought-tolerant and low maintenance once established, amsonia’s light blue star-like flowers emerge from feathery stems in the spring. Plant in full sun to partial shade.
Pride of Augusta Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium caroliniana "Pride of Augusta" ) – Adding vertical interest, this vine is a beautifully reliable addition to the garden. Flowering from January through April and sporadically through the year, this yellow double-flowering vine is easy to establish and train on a trellis, fence or wall. It’s also noninvasive and deer resistant. Plant in full sun to partial shade for best results.
Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosor) – Ferns are lovely in the landscape, and this variety is ideal for a shady, moist environment. New fronds unfold as bright, coppery red and then gradually fade to olive green. Although freezing temperatures, ice and snow sometimes burn the foliage, the plant is reliably evergreen in most parts of Georgia.
Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association (MALTA)
(770) 732-9832
www.maltalandscape.com