October / November 2009 | Fall Gardening

- For the Virtual Magazine Click Here | October / November 2009 article in Home Magazine.

- Jon George shares seasonal portraits of garden design tailored for our North Florida climate in each issue of the Landscape Calendar written for local magazine Home - Living in the Heart of Florida.  Check out each issue to learn secrets of how he and his staff create colorful landscapes any month of the year. You may contact his staff for questions at cottagegardensinc@yahoo.com.

October / November 2009 article

Temperatures have changed enough for my family to relax and enjoy meals on the back porch again. We counted seven different species of butterflies feeding on various flowers and a hummingbird or two buzzing around a late blooming Chaste tree. The plants think spring has come again and are putting on quite a show before first frost. Fortunately, North Central Florida does not become cold enough to halt year ‘round gardening and this is a great time of year to get trees, shrubs and perennials planted with little transplant stress.

Tuscan Sun is the name of this beautiful floribunda rose we trialed in one of our client’s gardens. Apricot to orange best describes the color which we paired with bright green Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’ and ‘Lime Zinger’ elephant ears. The coppery color intensifies with cooler weather and the blooms should make a good cut flower for the Thanksgiving table. Tuscan Sun also has a light honey fragrance.

Occasionally I stumble across a plant so noteworthy that I have it specially grown for our designs. One such treasure we call antique white Yarrow, pictured here in a client’s garden in Alachua. This old heritage strain of Achillea attracts butterflies both as a nectar food and host plant for caterpillars. Don’t be fooled by its delicate lacy white blooms. This is one tough plant. I must give credit to Miss Hunt of Jonesville for sharing this plant. It is one passed down from friends and relatives for more than a century.

We designed this butterfly and hummingbird garden in southwest Gainesville especially for children but the adults enjoy it as well. A pea gravel path lined with brick leads down through a wrought iron trellis with benches. Inspiration came from my oldest daughter when she suggested I create a place to sit and have conversation in our own garden. This little garden retreat will soon be a shady place to talk and play as the ‘Tangerine Beauty’ Cross vine covers the trellis and provides a canopy overhead.

Agapanthus Blue Heaven has created quite a stir this year being the first ever re-blooming Lily of the Nile. I have always loved agapanthus with its evergreen leaves and blue “lollipops” perched atop long stems. Blue Heaven produces a true blue flower head with waves of flowers if fed heavily with bulb booster. Fall is the best time to get agapanthus established for the next year’s spring bloom.

- Jon George shares seasonal portraits of garden design tailored for our North Florida climate in each issue of the Landscape Calendar written for local magazine Home - Living in the Heart of Florida.  Check out each issue to learn secrets of how he and his staff create colorful landscapes any month of the year. You may contact his staff for questions at cottagegardensinc@yahoo.com.