Gentiana saponaria, the soapwort gentian, remains in bloom in the garden. It began blooming in the last of September and will continue throughout mid-December. The soapwort gentian is one of the most lovely and long-blooming native perennials on the property.
When first emerging the stems are stiffly upright, but as they age, the stems become lax and arch over to lie on the mulch. Come time for buds to form, the tips of each stem will arch back up to display the blooms. This species is one of the bottle gentians. The blooms do not open and resemble a bottle, or Christmas tree light bulb.
Blooms are a lovely, rich, shade of blue. After pollination individual blooms turn violet along the veins. Perhaps to let bees know this one has nothing more to offer. Foliage is medium green on stems that can reach a bit less than two feet. Most of that length will bet on the forest floor, however.
Gentiana andrewsii is a second native species that is very similar in appearance and has about the same bloom period as the soapwort gentian. G. andrewsii is perhaps the easiest perennial to locate in native plant nursery catalogs.
There are three monkshood that I depend upon for late color year after year. Aconitum arendsii begins to open its first buds the first part of October. Azure flowers are on thick stalks without need of staking. Height can be from three to four feet. Nothing seems to bother the foliage including slugs, insects and deer. This is possibly because all aconitum are poisonous in all parts when ingested.
When planting monkshood give them all the light you can without placing them in full sun. Something resembling an edge of the wood habitat.
Aconitum fischerii, is shorter growing and reaches about two feet in height to just a bit more. The leaves are thick and leather-like on stout stems. The hooded flowers are lavender-blue and numerous. This species begins blooming in early October and will last well into mid or late November.
Aconitum carmichaelii 'Barker' (sometimes listed as Baker) is one that I have had in my garden the longest. This one is the tallest at six feet, or more, in height. Flowers are abundant at the top of the stems, and a pure violet-blue. Quite striking in appearance. It begins to bloom in mid-October and lasts well into mid-December if the weather cooperates.
Aconitum are very hardy with blooms quite resistant to cold. I have seen snow and ice on the blooms without damage to the petals. However, once several frosts or a good freeze hits them they stop producing. The display will quickly come to an end.
One of the best companion plants to monkshood is the fall blooming anemone. These late-performing anemone begin blooming the last part of August and early September. Blooms can last well into November, dependant upon our local weather. While they do enjoy the cooler temperatures of fall, these hybrid anemones will not stand up to a hard freeze. During light frosts it would be best to throw a cover over them to prevent damage to the bloom petals. The extra bit of trouble is well worth the efforts to have aconitum and anemone in bloom together the last of October and first of November.
Anemone hybrid 'Andrea Atkison' has large palmate leaves on stems that can reach three feet in height. Individual flowers are large and in a clean white with a center of orange stamens. A. x hybrida 'Honorine Jobert' reaches four feet in height when in bloom. Blooms are single petals of pure white. A. x hybrida 'Queen Charlotte' has semi-double flowers of pink. All fall-blooming anemone are quite vigorous in decent soil. Plan on a minimum of three feet, and four would be best, diameter spacing. It will not be long before the fill that space.
While wandering in and out of the fall garden admiring the remaining blooms there are a few tasks that need to be accomplished before hard winter arrives to settle in for the duration.
Every November is spent collecting mulch and fertilizer from the lawn for application in the garden. Leaves that so many people are raking up and discarding, I chop and pick up from the lawn to use in the garden with a riding mower. As the blades chop the leaves, they are then forced up and into bags on a rack. Does not take but a bit to fill those two bags and then drive over to the garden. The bags are carried up into the garden and spread about three to four inches deep. Takes a lot of trips from yard to garden and then up the hill carrying the bags. Still, I can not imagine not doing this ritual each late fall for all the benefits.
Those chopped leaves I spread each fall quickly turn to brown gold. While serving as mulch they insulate over winter months. Come spring and summer they help to keep the soil cool and conserve moisture. By next fall almost all will have broken down into humus and nutrients feeding the soil. Good soil is the first step to having healthy perennials.
It will not be long now before we can no longer go out and play in the garden. Meanwhile, enjoy those last few flowers of fall.