Chicago Botanic Garden Fall 2019

Ask the experts Do you have a question for our experts in the Plant Information Service? Contact them at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org or call (847) 835-0972 . Plant Information Service is sponsored by Learn more Send your plant questions to plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org or call (847) 835-0972. You may also bring plant samples to the certified University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners at the Plant Infor- mation Desk in the Regenstein Center. For more tips: chicagobotanic.org/plantinfoservice Sign up for adult education classes on plant care: chicagobotanic. org/education aster snapdragon anemone dahlia Q. Are there any alternatives to mums for adding some fall color to my garden or containers? A. Chrysanthemums are used extensively to provide a broad range of warm colors to late summer and fall gar- dens. If you wish to expand the color and texture palette, there are both annual and perennial owering plants that will continue to bloom up to or, in some cases, past the rst frosts. Annual choices include aster ( Aster ) , owering cabbage ( Brassica oleracea ) , owering kale ( Brassica oleracea ) , pansies ( Viola ) , and snapdragon ( Antirrhinum ) . Dinosaur kale ( Brassica oleracea ‘Lacinato’) makes a nice dramatic addi- tion to garden beds and containers because of its unusual blue-green, “bumpy” foliage. Ornamental grasses, both annual and perennial, also look great in the fall garden. Varieties such as Pennisetum setace- um ‘Rubrum’ have burgundy-red foliage and long-lasting plumes. ey also provide winter interest if the plumes are left standing. Among perennials, there is a wider range, including Autumn Joy sedum ( Sedum x ‘Autumn Joy’), Bright Star purple cone ower ( Echinacea purpurea ‘Bright Star’), Chinese lantern ( Physalis alkekengi ) , Japanese anemone ( Anemone japonica ) , rose mallow ( Hibiscus moscheutos ) , yarrow ( Achillea spp.), Helen’s ower or sneezeweed ( Helenium autumnale ) , black-eyed Susan ( Rudbeckia ) , and sun ower ( Heliopsis ) . e sun ower seedheads may be left out for the birds after the owers fade. Q. I have some tender bulbs—canna and dahlia. How should I protect them during our Chicago- area winters? A. Neither of these plants should be overwintered outdoors in the Chicago area. After frost has blackened the foliage, cut the leaves and stems back to 6 inches and remove the canna rhizomes and dahlia tubers from the soil. Shake o as much soil as possible and let them dry in an airy room or frost-free area for about a week. Dahlia tubers can be hung to allow any water to drain out. Inspect the rhizomes carefully and discard any that are damaged or diseased. en place them in shallow boxes with barely enough slightly damp peat moss or vermiculite to cover them. Store both types of bulbs in a cool, dark, frost-free place at approximately 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Inspect the dahlia tubers periodically for shriveling or disease. Shriv- eled tubers may be soaked in a bucket of water overnight, then thoroughly dried and returned to storage. Discard any diseased tubers. Replant bulbs outdoors after all danger of frost has passed next spring. chicagobotanic.org 31