Seasonal Recipe: Courgette Tzatziki

If you love autumn as much as we do, get excited—it's finally time to bust out the autumn decor!

Hi GPODers!

While I’m always sad to see the longer, lazier days of summer go away, I’m also a lifelong fan of that new school-year feeling. Although I might not enjoy my fresh box of crayons and brand-new book bag anymore, I do have two kiddos who do.

While most plants struggle to survive when it’s time for frost, these ones thrive! So, as you layer up in wool and fur and ready your fireplace, these plants shed their shyness and burst into the prettiest blooms in fall; some of these even continue their show in winter! We present to you the best cool-season flowers that love chilly weather. Dig in!

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Susan Calhoun’s garden in Poulsbo, Washington started out as an ugly patch of lawn that stretched along a property line. It was close to the shoreline and extremely close to a neighboring house. She craved privacy and four-season appeal but didn’t want to install a heavy line of shrubs or trees and create a claustrophobic “garden room.” Always having been a big fan of ornamental grasses and their undeniable texture, Susan decided to build a double border with grasses as the backbone. To that foundation, she added colorful plants that shine in different seasons, ensuring that this garden always looks good. Susan insists that designing this type of magical garden was easy; it just took the right planning and plants. The following are some of the main areas of this enchanting space, and the perennials, grasses, trees, and shrubs that help it shine.

Although redbuds usually get the most attention in spring when a plethora of magenta-pink blooms burst out of every stem before the leaves emerge, this new cultivar has more to offer. Midnight Express®, a nativar that sports velvety purple leaves, fills out much faster and maintains a denser habit than the similar, more familiar ‘Forest Pansy’. As summer gives way to autumn, the interior heart-shaped leaves shift to a golden yellow-orange, while the outer ones stay burgundy. This gives the small tree the appearance of being on fi re. Silvery, ghostlike bark carries the interest into winter, making this plant a worthy year-round investment.

Howard Nemeroff began his career in horticulture as a sales manager for a commercial greenhouse. When it was time to break out and build a plant business for himself, his initial plan was to offer clients garden maintenance and care, but he quickly realized that a more creative endeavor was in demand. Howard used his experience selling tropical plants and designing dish gardens at his former job to establish Plant Parenting, Inc., a company that offers many services but most notably creates award-winning container gardens.

“Ornamental grasses only look good in fall.” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard this from my clients—or even fellow garden designers—I’d be able to retire. Even if someone is willing to concede that grasses can look good at other times of the year, they tend to think a grass-forward garden will only have impact if it inhabits acres of space, creating a meadow-like appearance. I don’t think any of this is true. Grasses can be the star of the show, creating the backbone in an all-season border of any size. And by adding plants with complementary colors and contrasting shapes, you can have a design that is beautiful most months of the year.

There are countless ornamental grasses to choose from, so narrowing down a list of my favorites is tough. However, the following assortment—categorized by their best season of interest—is a good start. Choosing at least one from each season will ensure that your grass-forward garden always has something spectacular going on.

How to Plant and Grow Beets Beta vulgaris

Join BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine on Thursday 12 December 2024, for an exclusive event at the famous Le Manoir, a Belmond Hotel. Revel in the holiday spirit with a Christmas centrepiece demonstration, expert cookery demo, champagne reception, and a lavish three-course, two-Michelin-starred lunch that reflects the Christmas spirit in every bite.