By Ray Parker,

Special to the Herald

Fall color is in full bloom. Though we do not have the splash of leaf color of our colder neighbors in the north, we do have a number of wildflowers and perennials that continue to strut their stuff.

Several sizes of native brown-eyed Susan or wild Rudbeckia are in their yellow glory. Goldenrod, hardy ageratum, and whitewood aster can be found blooming along many roadways.

When we turn to our gardens, we can find many shrubs still giving a final round of color and fragrance. Now in my garden tea olive is heavy with white, fragrant flowers. Lending to tea olive's amazing aroma is a pink angel trumpet, and an orange/yellow sweet ginger. A few feet away are a white and blue Duranta, and a yellow Thryallis. We can’t forget the Confederate rose that produces four- to five-inch white and pink blooms in October. If anyone has ever seen a 15- to 25-foot Fall raintree in full bloom, it is hard to forget.

There are countless others that brighten our southern landscapes in these final months before Winter sets in. But on to a few reminders as we begin to change the cold does descend upon us.

If you want sweet peas next spring, they should be planted in September-October. The same is true of spring blooming bulbs. We tend to forget these until it’s too late. If you have daylilies, they need a shot of fertilizer for them to grow a healthy root base for next year’s bloom.

Many of our perennials are not winter hardy in this area. Most of the upper stems and foliage will die back, so mulch the stump with several inches of pine straw or other mulch material to keep a deep freeze from killing them.

[Ray Parker is a local gardener and owner of Papa’s Hibiscus in Guyton.]