Pexels/Mareefe
To create an authentic, late fall backdrop (including Halloween), refrain from cutting back flowering plants. The seedpods turn shades of black, brown and cream after a hard frost and remain in the landscape as a dynamic silhouette.
Imagine the tall Joe Pye weed backlit by moonlight as black cats emerge from dark shadows, bats swoop above pointy Echinacea or angular seedpods of blue wild indigo, swaying in the wind while sedum holds down a spot in the garden with its sturdy dried flowers.
Not only do these plants remain interesting through the fall but all winter as well. During the shorter days ahead and the inevitable snow falls, leaving flowers and grasses standing tall create the important winter interest in a landscape. Local birds and insects will also find them useful as food and lodging sources in the seasons ahead.
Alison Feik of Excelsior has a degree in landscape architecture and holds a wealth of knowledge about local plants and gardening. Grow more at beingstronginnature.com.
