For most regions within California, the winter and fall seasons can seem dreary and dull. Leaves vanish from trees, most plants halt blossoming and the skies turn grey. But what if you could enjoy some color in your yard all year round? Though most perennial flowers typically have a blooming season, there are a few varieties that still show off through the gloomier months. Extend the colorful joys of spring and summer by planting these off-season bloomers into your landscaping.
Coneflowers
Available in hues of orange, red, purple, pink, green and white, coneflowers come in a variety of both colors and sizes. It is easy to grow and known to be drought tolerant. To keep its flowers blossoming throughout multiple seasons, make sure it gets adequate sunlight and not too much shade. Deadhead some of the flowers in early summer to ensure plenty of new growth come fall. Coneflowers are also great nectar plants for attracting butterflies!
Sedum
This plant shines its brightest in autumn as the color in its flowers increases as temperatures lower. Come late fall, sedum foliage can be green, purple or variegated and even some varieties turn red, orange or yellow. Adaptable and steady, sedum is a beautiful addition to any garden or outdoor space.
Perennial Geraniums
There are multiple species of geraniums, but some types can luster through fall and even winter. It also comes in a range of pigments including white, peach, red, orange, purple and even bi-colors. Easy to care for, geraniums do well in containers, as ground cover or garden borders. Resistant to disease and pests, you’ll be admiring its charm for most the year.
Twinspur / Diascia
Cousin to the snapdragon, twinspur (also known as diascia), does well during the colder seasons. It loves the sun and does best in areas of moist soil, but good drainage. This ornamental plant can bloom with flowers in shades of white, purple, pink and orange, all with a yellow contrasting middle. Designed with two oil spurs, diascia flowers are the specifically pollinated by Rediviva bees.
April showers don’t have to only bring May flowers! Plant some of these “late bloomers” in your landscaping to keep natural beauty abundant throughout the whole year!