I live in zone 8. Any suggestions for my autumn garden?

Question

Looking especially for highly fragrant, long blooming, colorful vines, shrubs and flowers. Pics would be appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

lists of autumn interest plants:

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/shrub...

http://www.inthegardenonline.com/basics_...

http://www.rainyside.com/archives/autumn...

10 gardens famous for autumn interest

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn...

they prolly have pix at their websites

winter blooming plants:

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=winter+...

winter bulbs:

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=winter+...

u know, i am not sure how warm u are there in zone 8 but i wonder if u WERE a little warm, then maybe u could chill some bulbs and plant them and they might grow right away thinking it is spring? like outdoor "forcing".

there are a lots of lists around about what bulbs are good for forcing and what their chilling requirements are. here is a starter:

http://gardening.about.com/od/floweringb...

long blooming..when i was once upon a time thinking of this, non-autumn related, i liked the trumpet vine and gaillardia. just now i saw a bessera elegans. appears to be like a red trumpet vine but grows from a bulb. I can't say it's easy or good to grow because it looks like it is kind of new but if u come across one, pick it up maybe since i read it blooms in the winter.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=bessera...

another good one would have been (certain kinds of?) statice. but u have to grow it in the spring/summer maybe but then it is like a bright dried flower that stays on it's stalk until the weather beats it down.

a good way to get stuff to experiment with is to ask the labs. they give for free if u will do research or breeding.

the US germplasm request center:

http://www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/acc/acc_que...

a few others (most of the world particiaptes in one way or another):

http://pgrc3.agr.gc.ca/links-liens_e.htm...

internationally speaking, i think mediterranean plants have winter interest to northern climates in the winter.

seed swap and plant exchange is another great way to acquire new genetics. a majority of online garden communities have a trade board:

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=seed+sw...

highly fragrant stuff<<this reminds me of herbs. people say it is nice to plant them alongside or in paths so you brush them or step on them as you pass and the fragrance is released. other folks like to put plants like that next to benches or in windowboxes.

here is a thread about the most fragrant plants people know:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/...

http://www.ehow.com/how_2099513_grow-fra...

link about how to grow fragrant flowers. that site said on a different page that the most fragrant usually have white or purple petals, or thick petals (Tuberoses) or the word "odorata" or "odoratus" in their name. also they remind us that some are fragrant at night only (Night-scented stock, four-o'clocks and flowering tobacco).

this guy says lavender does really great in zone 8. blooms "all year". he describes 15 different kinds. different smells and forms and colors:

http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/lav...

"variegated foliage" is a great search to do for color.

Here is a page with the word "hardy" included:

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=hardy+v...

and one with the word "image". some variegated stuff is really incredible:

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

to see what most any thing or plant looks like, that is what u can to do..search with their name and the word "image". for the more obscure plants you might have to search with their scientific name.

last, is plant selectors. like selecting for a cause. like u could find all the plants that bloom in zone 8 that have pink petals. or fruiting trees that will not get taller than such and such feet or not throw out surface roots to driveways or blah blah whatever criteria. each will have a certain limited assortment of plants in their database. sometimes u can find someone local to you that has one, like ur agricultural university or a native plant society (good if looking for native plants):

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=plant+s...