As we move into “stick” season as we call it in New England, when mostly we’re looking at bare tree and shrub branches, it’s good to remember we can have more than “sticks” in our yards. There are herbaceous perennial flowers, grasses and shrubs that can put on quite a show, especially in locations that have less consistent snow cover in winter.
Many gardeners are quick to cut back their perennial flower gardens in fall. Current thinking is to leave the spent flowers, branches and leaves. They provide overwintering sites for beneficial insects and pollinators. But there’s another reason to leave the foliage: color. Some perennials have colorful leaves in fall and into winter. We’re enjoying our Amsonia tabernaemontana ‘Storm Cloud’ perennials right now. They are known for their light blue flowers in spring and their foliage turns a brilliant golden color in November. It brightens up any landscape and the plant is easy to grow with few pests. I’m also impressed with the foliage color of our Heucheras or coral bells this time of year. These plants are semi-evergreen in the North and part shade lovers. Varieties, such as,’ have silvery-colored foliage that turns a rosy color in the fall. ‘Dolce® Toffee Tart’ features amber colored leaves that hold color into winter.
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