Fall in Love with Fall Perennials: Your Guide to Autumn’s Garden Superstars

Ah, fall. The season of pumpkin spice, cozy sweaters, and gardeners frantically trying to squeeze in just one more plant before the snow flies. If you think gardening season is over once September rolls around—think again. Fall isn’t just about raking leaves and regretting planting that one maple tree that dumps 4,000 pounds of foliage on your lawn every year. It’s also the perfect time to plant perennials.

 

Wait, What Exactly Is a Perennial?

Good question. If you’re new to this, here’s the deal: a perennial is basically the low-maintenance best friend of the plant world. Unlike annuals (the divas who bloom their hearts out for one season and then dramatically die), perennials come back year after year. They spend their summers looking fabulous, their falls winding down gracefully, and their winters snoozing underground like little garden bears. Then, come spring, they pop back up—no replanting required.

Translation: buy once, enjoy for years. Your wallet will thank you.

When’s the Best Time to Plant Perennials?

Here’s where fall really shines. While spring is the celebrity of the planting world (everyone’s rushing to garden centres like it’s Black Friday), fall is the underrated, quieter sibling who just gets things done.

Why fall?

• Cooler temps: Plants like to establish roots without sweating it out in July’s heatwave.
•  Moist soil: Autumn rain does the watering for you.
• Less stress: Less bugs, no blazing sun, no impatient gardener hovering with a hose.
• Head start for spring: Roots establish in the fall, so your plants hit the ground running when warmer weather returns. 

So, if you’re looking for an excuse to hit Georgina Garden Centre again this fall—there you go.

 

Top 10 Fall Perennials You’ll Actually Love

There are hundreds of perennials out there, but here are the 10 MVPs (in no particular order) for fall that thrive in our Zone 5 Lake Simcoe climate: 

1. Coneflower (Echinacea) The ultimate crowd-pleaser. They bloom late into the season, come in every colour from purple to white to sunset orange, and pollinators adore them. Plus, their seed heads feed birds in winter. Basically, they’re the overachievers of the perennial world.
2. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) Bright, cheery, and practically indestructible. They’ll light up your garden with golden petals and a dark centre that bees can’t resist. They also look amazing paired with ornamental grasses.
3. Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ The name says it all. Big clusters of star-shaped flowers that shift from pink to deep red as fall progresses. It’s like nature’s slow-burn fireworks show.
4. Aster Think of asters as the encore of your garden concert—just when you think the show’s over, they burst into vibrant purple, pink, or blue blooms.
5. Chrysanthemums (Mums) The poster child of fall. Stick them in pots, borders, or beds for instant seasonal flair. Just remember: garden mums (hardy mums) are not the same as grocery store mums (aka: floral one-night stands).
6. Japanese Anemone Elegant, swaying blooms in shades of white or pink that appear when most flowers have given up. These beauties scream “refined” without actually needing much work.
7. Ornamental Grasses Okay, technically not a flower, but wow do they deliver in fall. Think fountain grass, switchgrass, or feather reed grass. They add height, texture, and movement when your garden starts looking flat.
8. Gaillardia (Blanket Flower) If you want colour that just won’t quit, gaillardia is your plant. These fiery red, orange, and yellow blooms look like they were dipped in sunset and can flower well into fall. They’re drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly, and basically laugh in the face of neglect. Plus, they bring that warm, autumn campfire vibe straight into your garden beds.
9. Coreopsis These dainty yellow blooms can keep flowering into fall with a bit of deadheading. Bonus: they attract butterflies like crazy.
10. Perennial Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) Want drama in your fall garden? Look no further. Perennial hibiscus flaunts massive dinner-plate-sized blooms in shades of pink, red, or white, right when most plants are starting to fade. They love the sun, thrive in moist soil, and will stop your neighbours dead in their tracks (with garden envy, not actual tragedy). Just remember: they’re late risers in spring, so don’t panic and dig them up thinking they didn’t survive the winter. Patience pays off—big time.

How to Look After Your Fall Perennials

So you’ve planted your shiny new perennials. Congrats! But don’t ghost them—plants have feelings too (okay, not really, but you get the point).

Here’s how to keep them happy:

• Water until the ground freezes: Yes, it’s cooler and rainier, but don’t assume nature’s got you covered. Give new plants a good soak every week until frost.
• Mulch, mulch, mulch: A 2–3 inch layer of mulch around the base helps keep roots cozy and prevents frost heaving (that’s when plants get shoved out of the soil like they’re tired of your garden).
• Cut back… sometimes: Some perennials benefit from being cut down in fall (think peonies or iris), while others (like coneflowers and ornamental grasses) look gorgeous in winter and provide food/shelter for wildlife. Translation: don’t go Edward Scissorhands on everything.
• Feed lightly: Fall is for root growth, not leafy show-offs. If you must fertilize, stick with something balanced and gentle.

 

What to Do With Perennials Over Winter

Here’s the beauty of perennials: they’re basically little plant superheroes who can handle our Canadian winters (with a bit of help from you).

• Leave seed heads: Not only do they look pretty dusted in snow, but birds will thank you.
• Protect delicate ones: Some perennials, especially newly planted ones, need extra insulation. Pile on leaves or mulch like you’re tucking them into bed.
• Avoid soggy feet: Make sure drainage is good—perennials hate sitting in ice water all winter long.
• Resist the urge to clean too much: Those “messy” stems and leaves can protect plants and provide habitat for beneficial bugs. Plus, it gives you an excuse to be lazy until spring. Win-win.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it, perennials are the gift that keeps on giving—especially when you plant them in the fall. With cooler weather, fewer pests, and an entire garden centre still full of choices (seriously, have you seen our fall stock?), now’s the time to load up your car trunk just one more time. 

Whether you’re after bold coneflowers, elegant anemones, or those feathery grasses that dance in the breeze, fall planting sets your garden up for a glorious show next year. 

And hey—if anyone asks why you’re still out in the garden instead of raking, just say you’re “investing in perennials.” Sounds way more responsible than “I don’t feel like cleaning up leaves.”

Happy gardening!