Since I am one, I’ve always loved the sensitive types. Chrysanthemums flower in the fall, but not all at the same time. Why? You can see the diversity. Watch three different varieties of garden mums, these perennials’ flowers open at three different times, even weeks apart. The opening is a response to how long the nights are; some more sensitive than others. I grow about a dozen different garden mums, they all have their own little ways.

There’s a protein in smelly old mums leaves that senses the change in light/dark proportions. Purples, pinks, burgundy, whites bust open according to how sensitive their protein is.

Lots of perennials do the same, making fall gardening in the dog days of summer spectacular. You can trick it. Put a lamp by your one mum and leave another in the dark all night. The first won’t flower. I’ve done it with Christmas lights, geeky yes, but fascinating.

Short Day Perennials & Plants

Yesterday, October 1, evening came about 6:45 and as I was walking out to the brewery, I noticed these other killer short day plants in flower:

Plectranthus ‘Purple Martin’ – 4 foot wands of rich purple
Jacquemontia Vine (see photo)

Brillantasia, Giant Tropical Sage
Thunbergia grandiflora, Clock Vine

Salvia leucantha, Mexican Sage
Crotalaria (nitrogen fixers good for the soil – if you inoculate them)
Ligulara (aka Farfugium) just starting

The stumbling block with lots of these in the list is that the first are tropical. You have to root them now. My friend Bonnie, (who grows the vine in the picture) says she thinks that’s too much trouble. But I’m sure, absolutely certain, she’s have things rooting in water by first frost and baby them over the kichen sink all winter long.

Want to know what goes on behind the scenes of a magazine photo shoot? Check out photos of a garden I’ve spent ten years designing for a client in the new copy of Southern Living Magazine. The photos were actually taken in mid October. Lots and lots of primping went into getting ready for that photo shoot. Three full time horticulturists, three full time grounds guys, a professional turf manager worked before hand to spiff.

Then a writer, photographer and sort of a theater set up person from the magazine primp for a few days two. And I hung out with them a cut bad leaves, filled in holes in hedges too. Then, the computer guy spiffs the photos further. And as I said, the design evolved for many years.

Enjoy spectacular pictures of short day perennial borders. And make a quick drive to the Lower South, we get to enjoy our photo sensitive plants — the plants that will smother gardens for the next few months.

Check out my new short video about pruning to make your perennial border tie into the background shrubs. Go the planters place video gallery and search for ‘A Lesson on Pruning’