Moving Past Mums | Alternative Fall Flowers

Are you looking for a plant that is guaranteed to be colorful in your garden in this autumn and beyond? Have I got a plant for you, and it’s not the ubiquitous mum.

For many years chrysanthemums have been the fall flower in New England. They survive light frosts and provide a cheerful mound of color before winter sets in. But in the past twenty years the garden centers have been stocked with other alternatives. To my mind, the stars of this autumnal show are the cabbages and kales. These vegetable relatives have been bred for their ornamental qualities, not for taste. But like their veggie garden cousins, they sail through heavy frosts. In fact, their colors deepen as the temperatures fall so fall kales and cabbages will add color to containers and gardens well through November. Depending on the winter, in many areas they will still be attractive as the snow melts in spring. Fall kales and cabbages (also known as ornamental kale and cabbage) come in a variety of sizes, leaf shapes and colors. Smaller plants are perfect for tucking into window boxes and porch pots, while larger ones look lovely in containers or planted directly in the ground. Here are some design and care tips for using these plants to their best advantage.

HOW TO CARE FOR ORNAMENTAL KALE AND CABBAGE

When planting kales and cabbages in containers, tip the main part of the plant over the edge of the box or pot so that the root ball is planted at an angle. This will allow the plants to be more fully visible. And since the stems continue to lengthen as the plant grows, tipping the cabbage or kale will hide those stems while showing off the most attractive parts. Kales and cabbages look best in a garden when they’re planted in groups. Zig-zag odd numbers in swaths in perennial gardens or in front of shrubs; the more you plant the more you’ll smile as the cold temperatures arrive. Use ornamental cabbages and kales to dress up a veggie garden for the winter. In this situation planting in lines as vegetables are often raised is a good design choice. This is especially valuable for those who have vegetable gardens in their front yard or where they are very visible from the house. Rows of pink cabbages or kales alternated with rows of white will provide an attractive display all winter long. Because the white cabbage butterfly larvae can turn these plants into Swiss cheese, spraying with Bt or spinosad when they are planted is a good idea. These are organic treatments that will prevent damage into the season, especially if a “spreader sticker” product such as Turbo is mixed into the spray bottle or tank sprayer with the bacteria. Do you use ornamental kale or cabbage in your fall planting?