Late Fall Flowers

With the cooler mornings the rose flowers are improving their form. The heat of August and September reduced their production and made smaller blooms but now we are having a flush of full pretty roses.

The Big Muhly grasses are putting on a spectacular show this year. These are easy to see outside the HEB parking lot. The Big Muhly sends up plumes 5 feet tall. Another easily recognized Muhly is the purple-pink Gulf Muhly. It is not as tall as Big Muhly but the clouds of purple-pink seed sprays make it easy to spot. Both of these ornamental bunch grasses are native and the deer do not eat them.

King Ranch grass is not native but it does very well here. It was brought over from Asia to the King Ranch to provide food for the grazing animals. The seed heads are a major nuisance this time of year. You can mow one day and before the week is out there are more unattractive foot high seed heads that need mowing again.

Asters typically bloom in the fall. There are many different kinds of asters that can be found in our area. My favorite garden aster is the blue-lavender Michaelmas Aster. This perennial plant is eaten by deer but in a protected area it can grow two to three feet tall and 8 feet wide. It is easy to dig up and divide to share with others.

Fall is the time to plant bulbs that will bloom in the spring. Narcissus (also called Daffodils) in the tazette group are best for annual blooms in Central Texas. Some of the Narcissus I have had luck with are Grand Primo, Campernelle, Texas Star, Soleil’dOr, Dutch Master, Unsurpassable, Ice Follies, and Erlicheer. Many of these bulbs are sold by McClure and Zimmerman and by Southern Bulb company.

Written by Jackie Mattice