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Six tips on planting fall perennials

As the last days of summer dwindle and you enjoy the splendor of your garden, don't put away your gardening tools too quickly. Late summer and fall are a terrific time to plant fall perennials that will give you color all through this glorious season. Although your garden may look full and sumptuous, trust me, there are always a few empty spots where you can nestle in the best of what these autumn
Six Tips on Planting Fall Perennials
Six Tips on Planting Fall PerennialsChris Burrows/Photolibrary/Getty Images / Today

As the last days of summer dwindle and you enjoy the splendor of your garden, don't put away your gardening tools too quickly.

Late summer and fall are a terrific time to plant fall perennials that will give you color all through this glorious season. Although your garden may look full and sumptuous, trust me, there are always a few empty spots where you can nestle in the best of what these autumn flowers have to offer. Here are some thoughts on how to proceed.

Make a list of perennials that you think would fit well in your garden. Some of my fall favorites are: caryopteris, chrysanthemums, lobelia, ceratostigma, boltonia, sedum, aclepias, angelica, Sanguisorba officinalis, Eupatorium, salvia and aster.

Buy healthy plants in large, odd numbers: I would say a minimum of five per specimen and as many as 11 or 13.

Lay pots out in garden in flowing motion (no straight lines). They can also be interspersed with earlier-blooming perennials.

Once your eye is pleased with the way they are laid out, plant them. Make sure planting holes are deep enough and that that soil is tamped gently around the plants so that no air pockets exist.

Water on a regular basis. Even though the weather may be cooler, these plants still need plenty of water in order for their roots to become secure in their new home.

Enjoy these new additions to your garden. They will make a significant contribution in extending your gardening season.

One last thought, if the spirit moves you, take pictures once you've planted these fall additions, as well as later in the season. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how much impact these plants have in helping to create a magnificent landscape.

A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.