GARDENING
Finding fall colors where you may not expect them poor, sandy soils gardens as they with the native provide habitat plant community for beneficial best suited for insects and those conditions: larval food for a meadow along butterflies, as Greg Levine, co-exa Georgia granite well as seeds and ecutive director rock outcropping. shelter for many of Trees Atlanta, The fall colors bird species. describes himself of a meadow are Our plant as happiest when subtle, elegant, communities his hands are in and long-lasting, are very diverse, the dirt. and the morning from full forests light and dew with an open accentuate the canopy and little Recently I was able to spend beauty even else but a carpet Little bluestem a day with Darrel Morrison, more. of moss, to a a highly regarded landscape My longmeadow with architect known for designs that winded point is to emphasize over a hundred native perennials though, they retain warm colors mimic native plant communities. the importance of learning and grasses. Fall can bring out a throughout the winter. Darrel was the dean of The about your patch of dirt to be unique splendor in each of these Our native grasses should be School of Environmental Design landscaped – soil type, drainage, communities. an important component in our at UGA way back when I was in and sun exposure. Then, identify school. He explained (or, rather, the plant community found in re-explained, as I am only a fair places similar to your existing student) that we can do better site, and focus on the plants than using native plants simply Plants to grow for extra fall color that thrive in that particular as chess pieces in a landscape. environment. Your plants will Instead, gardeners can create Consider these grasses and perennials if you have room for a be more likely to flourish and more successful and interesting small meadow or perennial border and want some fantastic fall you will recreate a beautiful designs by noticing which plants color. landscape found in the mostgrow together in nature, then Broomsedge – Andropogon virginicus – This early successional loved wild places of Georgia. matching those communities grass lives for just a few years but reseeds nicely. It has a longAs our day together ended, with the corresponding lasting bronze fall color. The height ranges from three to five feet. Darrel and I headed down U.S. manmade conditions. Like many grasses, it grows taller with more moisture and most of 78 towards Athens. When we Most everyone who sees a the height is in the seed head. hit the outskirts of Loganville, healthy forest, rock outcrop, Little bluestem – Schizachyrium scoparium – ‘Standing Ovation’ we saw a sea of dark purple. It or meadow appreciates their is a cultivar that stays upright. You need a bit more patience for was in fact Purpletop (Tridens natural beauty. Many would like this longer-lived grass as it is a bit slower than broomsedge to flavus), a native grass common to capture it and bring it home. establish but makes for a good companion plant. It can handle dry in the Piedmont. It went on for Darrel insists that it can be to slightly wet-to-dry soils. It has reddish purple to silver fall color. miles – just one plant in the right done. By successfully duplicating The grass gets 2 to 4 feet tall. There are a number of cultivars place, a member of a southern these plant communities at available in the market that vary in leaf and fall color. meadow plant community. We people’s homes, offices and Blue mist flower – Conoclinium coelestinum –This is the both agreed we had never seen schools, we can celebrate Georgia foolproof flower. It has reliable purple smoke-like flowers in the the highway look that good, and landscapes while creating better fall and the pollinators are all over it. When it’s really happy, mist all the D.O.T. had to do was let it wildlife habitat with numerous flower will hold its ground with the competitive river oats. I pull a grow. other benefits. lot of this plant up and still have a purple party for several weeks This grass gets to be around Darrel worked with our when it blooms in September and October. It likes average soil three feet tall and is one of many landscape architect to select moisture and can take full sun to part shade. It can reach almost 3 meadow grasses that really show plants for a meadow at Trees feet tall. off in the fall just before the Atlanta’s future home. He I must include a tree for your fall planting. Pawpaw (Asminia leaves change. Unlike the trees, matched the existing nutrienttriloba) is a four-season tree, and if your garden has average soil and partial sun to almost full shade it will thrive. This native tree grows to about 30 feet tall and looks pretty tropical with its slightly drooping leaves that turn a nice yellow Grow a moss garden in the fall. Its maroon flowers give way to the largest edible fruit Learn to grow your own moss garden. On Oct. 22, Annie native to North America. The fruit resembles a small pale green “Mossin’ Annie” Martin, a nationally recognized expert on moss mango and taste like very sweet banana. You have to get them fast gardening, will present “The Magical World of Moss Gardening” at or the raccoons and possums will beat you to it. The tree can work Trees Atlanta, 225 Chester Ave., Atlanta. This program is free and as a lovely specimen, but it helps to have two trees for the best fruit open to the public, but you should register to reserve your spot at production. www.treesatlanta.org.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL GARDENER
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OCTOBER 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
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