It’s mid-November, we’ve had a frost or two. Hurrah, I finally have time to enjoy my gardens! During the “normal” growing season, I don’t have time to sit and enjoy plants. If I do sit, I see only faded flowers, insects, or weeds rather than blooms. Or, I’m so involved in my “to-do” list for the farm that I barely notice the plants. But now, NOW, I can relax and find delight in individual plants. And, there are some beauties! The plants I’ve selected for this article are all shade lovers, which means their season is extended into very late autumn because they grow in an area protected by trees or buildings. Some years, they still look fantastic in late December!
First on my list of “must-grow” plants for after frost is tiarella . Actually, tiarella is a must-grow for any season. It’s perfect for those troublesome dry-shade areas, especially under trees. My plants begin blooming in early spring, and continue off and on until Thanksgiving! They have lovely foliage in tidy clumps all season, with no “ugly spell” common to hostas and other beasts. Tiarella is a well-behaved neighbor, who doesn’t crowd or infringe on other plants, and its airy white blooms go well with anything. They are especially nice to lighten up dark areas. Some varieties even have striking burgundy markings on their leaves, providing even more color that intensifies after frost.
Another glorious autumn plant is heuchera, or coral bell. The coral bell of my grandmother’s time was slightly scraggly, with a brief bloom period of tiny coral, pink or red flowers sparsely spread on knee-high stalks. Hummingbirds love them. Over the years, dedicated plant breeders have developed heucheras with fabulous foliage. Plants with pewter or silver-toned leaves, foliage edged with bright orange, or leaves with deep purple coloration and ruffles have been introduced. Some of these wondrous-foliaged plants, however, had disappointing flowers, usually in white. Now, we have the best of both--glorious foliage and glorious blooms. Welcome Heuchera “Amber Waves” to your garden. It’s an award-winning, highly-ruffled, golden-leaved beauty all season, but with the arrival of autumn, the jewel tones amplify to include apricot and rose . Heucheras are also good neighbors, and always tidy. The only care I give them is to clip off faded bloom stalks after flowering.
Frost intensifies the color of “Bressingham Purple” polemonium, too. Developed in England by Alan Bloom, this fancy form of Jacob’s Ladder is a prize-winner all season, but is stellar when cool weather arrives. Polemonium also appreciates light shade during the growing season. Place it where it can be admired for its pretty, lacy foliage and lovely purple-blue blooms. It brings late-season visitors to a total stop when they see those gorgeous purple leaves this time of year! Reliable, easy, “Bressingham Purple” reaches about 20” in height, with a spread of 18”. Plant several in a area for impact, or just one near a shady seating area where it will attract admirers.
Another candidate that struts its stuff after frost is tellima. Similar in form to heuchera, tellima can tolerate dense, dry shade and is always appealing. It doesn’t seem to be bothered by bugs, so the velvety green foliage always looks good. Tellima blooms in spring with coral bell-like stalks of chartreuse blooms. It provides a pretty background for all the color in the garden during summer, but steps up in autumn to provide decorative green mounds in the Shade Garden. It’s one of those tough characters that you can rely on to look good when the hostas are ugly and the other perennials in the garden need trimming. It stays put, is easy to grow, and deserves to be in more gardens.
The final frost-beater is pulmonaria, or lungwort. The hairy silvery-streaked or spotted leaves are especially lovely this time of year. Another shade-lover, pulmoarias bloom in spring on fleshy stalks with tiny leaves. Afterward bloom, the leaves grow much larger, and form large clumps that are avoided by deer and most other pests.
Plant any of these beauties in your Shade Garden next spring, and you will find yourself enjoying the autumn garden so much you’ll hope the snow never arrives!