Late summer and early fall may be my favorite time of year for color in the garden.
This is when so many of our native plants seem to come together in combinations that I could never have planned quite as beautifully myself.
Deep purples rise above warm oranges. Brilliant reds appear against soft blues. Pinks and lilacs mingle with blues and yellows. And everywhere, the golden colors of late summer seem to weave their way through it all.
Some of these combinations were planned. Others simply happened as plants spread, seeded themselves around, and found their own places among their neighbors. I think those unexpected combinations are often my favorites.
There’s something wonderful about walking through the garden at this time of year and discovering a combination you hadn’t noticed before. Two colors that suddenly look perfect together. A bright splash of red appearing through a cloud of blue. Purple and yellow catching your eye from across the garden. It can feel less like gardening and a little more like painting.
And all of this color is doing more than creating a beautiful garden.
Late summer and early fall blooms provide nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, moths and other insects that are still very much at work as the seasons begin to change. While we’re enjoying the colors, they’re finding the resources they need.
Maybe that’s one of the things I love most about gardening with native plants. Beauty and function don’t have to be separate things. A garden can be alive with insects and wildlife and still stop you in your tracks simply because two colors happen to look beautiful together.
At this time of year, sometimes all you have to do is stand back and admire the artwork.
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