Adding Pink to Your Fall Garden
Bring an unexpected twist to the autumn palette with these pink bloomers, grasses, and shrubsIn David Culp’s recent webinar, The Magic of Fall, we were treated to gorgeous displays of red, yellow, gold, and orange - the colors we traditionally think of when we picture an autumn garden. But there’s another color that deserves a place in the fall palette: pink!
Pink flowers that bloom in fall may not be the first thing you think of when planning an autumn garden. Yet tucked among those warm shades of red, yellow, and gold, pink can be surprisingly beautiful. And, depending on the shade, it can either harmonize with fall’s fiery colors or soften and temper their intensity.
Laid out on a color wheel, you can see how nicely pink flowers fit into fall's warm palette. Photo by: Rebecca Sweet
To demonstrate, I gathered flowers from my fall garden in a range of pinks, from bright bubblegum to soft blush, and placed them on my color wheel alongside foliage in shades of gold, yellow, and red. When you see the colors together this way, it’s easy to see how naturally pink fits into a fall garden.
Look at the pink line drawn on the color wheel, and you’ll notice that green sits directly opposite pink. These are called complementary colors, colors that sit opposite each other on the color wheel, creating a natural and pleasing contrast. Rather than competing with autumn’s traditional colors, pink adds an unexpected note that can make the entire palette feel more nuanced.
Of course, you don’t need to pull out a color wheel every time you plant! Sometimes the easiest way to discover a new color combination is simply to look around your own garden and experiment.
So this fall, why not sprinkle a little pink among your traditional autumn colors? It’s an easy way to add an unexpected and surprisingly delightful twist to the fall garden.
Here are just a few of my favorite sources of pink in the fall garden:
Photo by: Rebecca Sweet
BUSH CLOVER (Lespedeza thunbergii ‘Gibraltar’)
Zones: 4 to 8
One highlight of a November visit to New York’s Conservatory Garden was this gorgeous bush clover, positively dripping in bubblegum-pink blooms. Growing to about 4 by 8 feet, it’s a substantial shrub with gracefully arching branches and plenty of presence in the garden.
Photo by: Rebecca Sweet
PINK MUHLY GRASS (Muhlenbergia capillaris ‘Regal Mist’)
Zones: 6 to 9
Patient gardeners are rewarded with the stunning late-fall display of ‘Regal Mist’ muhly grass. Though its blades remain a muted green during hot summer months, cooler temperatures transform this North American native grass into a vibrant, eye-popping display that lasts for months.
See more ornamental grasses.
Photo by: Rebecca Sweet
AUTUMN JOY SEDUM (Hylotelephium ‘Autumn Joy’)
Zones: 3 to 9
Hylotelephium (aka Sedum) ‘Autumn Joy’ is a stalwart in many of the gardens I design, and for good reason. Its flower heads emerge in early summer in soft shades of green, gradually shifting to blush pink as the season progresses, before deepening into vibrant pink in fall. The color lasts right through the season, often holding on until the first hard frost. The pollinators adore the blooms almost as much as I do.
Learn more about growing sedum.
Photo by: Rebecca Sweet
SNOWBERRY (Symphoricarpos ‘Candy’)
Zones: 3 to 7
While many gardeners are familiar with the classic white berries of our native snowberry, newer varieties like ‘Candy’ offer a fun twist with clusters of soft pink berries. For an even bolder pop of color, ‘Proud Berry’ lives up to its name, producing exceptionally vivid pink fruit that stands out in the fall garden.
Photo by: Rebecca Sweet
HARDY GARDEN MUM (Chrysanthemum ‘Hillside Sheffield Pink’)
Zones: 3 to 9
This hardy garden mum is one of my favorite fall bloomers. Perfect for the front of the border, it grows to about 2 by 3 feet, and beginning in October, it’s covered with cheerful, daisy-like blooms in shades of pink with warm orange undertones. It’s tough, low-water, and perfectly happy baking in the hot sun. It’s deer-resistant, pollinator-friendly, and about as easygoing as a fall bloomer gets.
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