Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Favorite Autumn Perennials of DC-area Gardeners

For our September 2011 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest , we asked readers to tell us about their favorite autumn perennial and why. Among our entries were these wonderful submissions:

~ Katie Rapp of Gaithersburg, MD, said: "Solidago: I love all goldenrods... nothing says early autumn to me like goldenrod catching the sun's rays in the late afternoon. I have a dwarf variety in my yard that I like very much (although the deer do, too)."

~ Madeline Caliendo of  Washington, DC, said: "Sedum because it turns a beautiful bronze color in the fall (and it is easy to grow...)."
~ George Graine of Falls Church, VA said: "Nipponanthemum nipponicum (Nippon Daisy). This perennial extends the growing season with daisy-like white flower heads to 2-1/2 " across. The leaves are also different from the usual shasta daisy foliage."

~ Lena Rotenberg of Keedysville, MD, said: "My favorite autumn perennial is Sedum 'Autumn Joy,' when the deer don't get to it... My friend Marney gave me my first few plants and I've since purchased a few more. This year they look gorgeous in my native bed!"


Did we leave out YOUR Favorite Autumn Perennials? You can add it in the comments here.
The winner of our September 2011 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest chosen at random from among the submitted entries is: Lena Rotenberg of Keedysville, MD.

Congratulations, Lena! She wins a copy of The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer by Stephanie Cohen and Nancy Ondra from Storey Publishing (a $25 value).


Stephanie Cohen and Nancy Ondra, both Pennsylvania gardeners, are thoroughly obsessed with everything about gardens and gardening — digging, planting, designing, and creating great canvases of living color and texture. Their encouraging words, based on practical experience and the belief that there is more than one right way to create a garden, boost confidence and promote experimentation. Along with design basics, they present 20 garden plans, as well as the before-and-after stories of gardens they’ve created for themselves and their families.

Look out for future monthly Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contests announced in each issue of Washington Gardener's online newsletter.

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