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Chionodoxa [illustration karen blackerby logan]
Plant them out now and they will be blooming in the spring!
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Filipendula
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SATURDAY OCTOBER 10, 2026 / 10-2
Our Annual Harvest Festival is this weekend! Stop by with the whole family to celebrate our fall harvest.
50% off everything except pumpkins, fall blooming mums, kales, cabbages, bagged goods and hard goods (fertilizers, tools & bulbs)
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& GUESS THE WEIGHT OF OUR GIANT PUMPKIN!!
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**except pumpkins, fall blooming mums, kales, cabbages, bagged goods and hard goods (fertilizers, tools & bulbs)
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Nature Crafts - Little Jack Pumpkin Bouquets
Nature Crafts - Pince cone Bird Feeders
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Viburnum plicatum
Viburnums are among the most popular landscape shrubs, prized for being both exceptionally attractive and highly functional. With so many cultivars available, there is a variety suited for almost any garden design. Fragrant viburnums burst into bloom in the spring, often giving way to colorful berries by the fall. If you want your viburnum to produce an abundant display of berries for local birds, be sure to plant several different compatible varieties that bloom at the same time to ensure successful cross-pollination.
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For jaw-dropping autumn color and brilliant seasonal fruit, consider these standout varieties:
Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum): Celebrated for its heavy fall berry production, its dark green leaves transition to a striking purplish-red in autumn, accompanied by drooping clusters of bright red fruit. It typically matures to an upright 8–12 feet tall.
Doublefile Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum): A personal favorite of Chris Wileys’ for its breathtaking floral displays.
Viburnum dilatatum 'Cardinal Candy'): Noted for its heavy clusters of drooping red berries.
Viburnum dilatatum 'Michael Dodge': Unique for producing distinctive, drooping yellow berries.
Viburnum dilatatum ‘Michael Dodge’ and some Virginia Creeper
Viburnum plicatum
Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum): Native to Martha’s Vineyard, this hardy shrub grows wild across Chilmark and the woodlands of West Tisbury. Non-fragrant, flat-topped white flowers emerge in late spring, giving way to deep blue-black berries that songbirds and wildlife adore. Tolerant of light shade and deer-resistant, it is a wonderful choice for naturalistic plantings or ecological restoration projects. We carry the popular cultivar 'Blue Muffin'.
Prague Viburnum (Viburnum × pragense): Features creamy-white flowers in spring that transition to early-fall berries (starting red and maturing to glossy black). Reaching roughly 10–12 feet tall, it thrives in full sun to partial shade.
Leatherleaf Viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophyllum): A large, bold evergreen shrub featuring rough-textured foliage and creamy-white spring flowers.
Viburnum x burkwoodii [photo credit: keith kurman]
Korean Spice Viburnum (Viburnum carlesii): A classic favorite celebrated for its intensely sweet fragrance. Deep reddish-pink buds open in early spring into 3-inch, snowball-like clusters of aromatic blooms. Preferring full sun to partial shade, it typically matures to a compact 4–6 feet tall and wide.
Fragrant Arrowwood (Viburnum × carlcephalum): A multi-stemmed shrub with an open, rounded form. It produces fragrant, snowball-type blooms in spring alongside lovely reddish autumn foliage. Best fruit production occurs when planted in groups, and it boasts good drought tolerance once established, eventually growing 6–10 feet tall and wide.
Burkwood Viburnum (Viburnum × burkwoodii): An early-spring beauty originating from the Korean Spice family. Under ideal conditions, it can mature up to 10x10 feet. In late April to early May, it puts on a show with pinkish-white flower clusters carrying an insanely delicious fragrance. With gorgeous dark green foliage, it functions beautifully as a privacy hedge, screen, or standalone accent plant.
Fragrant Viburnum
Viburnum x burkwoodii
Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar)
Evergreens retain their foliage for a full year or more and are classified as either conifers or broadleaf evergreens. Conifers belong to the phylum gymnosperms which are plants that bear cones instead of flowers as reproductive structures. Their leaves are called needles or scales and are adaptations for survival in tough windy drought conditions, like on top of mountains. While broadleaf evergreens belong to the phylum Angiosperms (flowering plants) and produce flowers and seeds. Both conifers and broadleaf evergreens are a wonderful and highly functional asset to your landscape, especially when privacy is a goal.
This can seem like a very simple request however from the grower’s perspective it is much more complex and dependent on budget and environment.
Layered screening with large Thuja plicatas that give wonderful privacy
How much you have to spend on screening directly correlates to the amount of time it will take to achieve your end goal. The bigger the tree, shrub, or grass, the more expensive it is and the more labor intensive it is to install. Large transplants can take a couple of years to re-establish their root systems.However, faster growing plants are not always an ideal option. A fast growing plant can be weak wooded, susceptible to high winds or winter ice damage, or prone to outgrowing their space entirely. The most economical and resilient strategy is to start your screening "vision" with smaller plants that can quickly establish themselves backed by slower-growing structural evergreens.
The Island may be small but it is remarkably diverse in terrain and habitats. What would work for a screen in Vineyard Haven will not necessarily work for screening in Chilmark. Soil types, sun exposure, and local wildlife play massive roles in plant decisions.
Deer Pressure: High up-island deer populations require careful plant selection.
Soil Variations: Sandy coastal soils dry out quickly (Oak Bluffs), while low-lying clay soils can trap moisture and cause poor drainage that slowly stresses root systems.
Water Compatibility: Matching the plant to the soil moisture is critical. Planting a drought-loving juniper in a damp, heavy clay area, for instance, sets it up for failure.
It helps to remember that what you see above ground is only half of the plant, what goes on below is perhaps even more important.
Thuja plicata Virginian
Thuja plicata Green Giant
Thuja plicata Fluffy
Picea abies (Norway Spruce): A reliable, fast growing evergreen averaging about 13 inches per year! It adapts wonderfully to island growing conditions and tolerates acidic, loamy, sandy, well-drained, and even clay soils.
Cupressocyparis leylandii (Leyland Cypress): A powerhouse screen growing at least 24 inches per year. It handles island conditions well, though it should be avoided directly on the waterfront where heavy salt spray and high winds can cause irreversible damage.
Pinus strobus (Eastern White Pine): A classic native beauty that prefers acidic, moist, well-drained soil and adds a soft texture while growing at least 24 inches a year.
Thuja plicata 'Green Giant' (Western Arborvitae): We have been carrying this cultivar for years. This specific variety can get up to 60' tall! Many use arborvitae as screening for privacy on their properties, as well as a windbreaker. We have them in several sizes.
Thuja plicata 'Virginian' (Virginian Arborvitae): A smaller newer cultivar growing 15' tall x 6' wide in ten years(with a steady 1-to-2-foot annual growth rate). It is known to be deer-resistant and compact for tight screening needs. We offer three different sizes up to 9 feet.
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Broadleaf evergreens make magnificent, texturally rich privacy screens, and they excel in areas with partial shade.
Hollies (Ilex): Tough, glossy, and brilliant for privacy and winter color.
Rhododendrons: Offer lush foliage, stunning spring blooms, and year-round structure.
Cherry Laurels: Dense, fast-establishing, and classic.
Andromedas (Pieris): Provide early spring blooms and delicate, year-round foliage.
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Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Pinpoint Blue’
Chamaecyparis pis. ‘Gold mop’
Chamaecyparis pisifera Baby Blue
Year-Round Interest: Gives the landscaper structure year round and stays green even through the dead of winter.
Privacy & Windbreaks: Block unwanted views and buffer cold seasonal winds.
Wildlife Habitat: Offer critical shelter and nesting sites for birds and small mammals.
Resilience: Exceptionally drought-resistant once their root systems are established.
Climate Suitability: Perfectly adapted to Martha’s Vineyard's climate zone (traditionally zone 7A, with many varieties proving even hardier)
Juniper Blue Star
Juniperus Blue Pacific
Juniperus procumbens Nana
Juniperus chinensis Blue Point
Rhododendron screening
Panicum ‘Heavy Metal’
Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) is native to Martha's Vineyard and the New England region. It is a quintessential North American warm-season grass that thrives locally in coastal plain environments, fields, and woodland edges.
Switchgrass serves many purposes in the landscape, adding height and texture, as well as giving a natural feel in ecological restoration projects. Easily grown in average to wet soils in full sun to part shade, this clump-forming grass typically stands 3 to 6 feet tall and spreads through rhizomes. Once established, it is remarkably low-maintenance, thriving in hot sun and tolerating drought without requiring rich soil.
Summer & Fall: Bright green leaves line the stems throughout the growing season before turning a brilliant yellow in the fall. In mid-to-late summer, it features finely-textured, pink-tinged, panicles that mature into delicate red seed heads.
Winter: The seed plumes stay through winter and are a good food source for birds. The dense habit provides crucial winter cover for small mammals.
Ecological Role: Switchgrass acts as an important native host plant for butterflies such as the tawny edge skipper and Delaware skipper.
Panicum virgatum 'Cloud Nine' (Switchgrass): One of the tallest varieties available, featuring upright bluish foliage with rose-colored seed panicles that transition to rich golden shades in autumn. It provides ideal wildlife habitat and food for songbirds.
Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' (Red Switchgrass): A stunning red switchgrass with upright foliage that becomes red-tinted during the growing season culminating in a dazzling red-leaved show in fall. It is exceptionally drought-tolerant and easy to maintain.
Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal' (Blue Switchgrass): Features a strictly upright habit with metallic-blue foliage. Airy, pink-tinted blooms appear in July, highlighting the steely blue leaves, and beautiful when planted in masses.
Panicum ‘Heavy Metal’
Panicum ‘Dewey Blue’
Panicum
by karen blackerby logan
What a glorious time of year, a season for the senses. The mysteries and magic in nature are in their transition states, quietly entering new phases of life. The meadow is dancing with asters and goldenrods. Birds and bees are singing and buzzing their way from flower to flower and seed to seed. Squirrels and chipmunks are busily searching for as many acorns as possible preparing for winter. The sound of the first fallen leaves crunching underfoot. Maples and oaks will soon brighten the canopy with vibrant oranges, reds and yellows. And as I am writing, I am experiencing one of the most miraculous transitions; a monarch chrysalis in her final stage of transformation. I think it will be minutes until the monarch emerges, now visible through the transparent chrysalis. The ‘super’ monarch that emerges this time of year will be preparing for her great migration south to Michoacan, Mexico.
Autumn is truly an atmospheric time of year, teetering between life and death. As you walk through your garden you may have the urge to cut back plants and rake up the leaves, but in each of those seed pods a meal is to be had or a home to be occupied. Seed pods of echinaceas, sunflowers and many other flowers are a valuable food source for wildlife during the long winter months ahead. Long pithy stemmed flowers like Joe-Pye Weed are homes to native bees. Not only is this necessary for wildlife, they can also be an ornamental part of your landscape during winter. The various shapes and shades of brown bring texture to your garden. Letting leaves and organic matter decompose in your garden bed helps regenerate the soil, insulates roots, stores carbon and protects habitats through the winter months. Many species of moths and butterflies pupate and overwinter in our leaves and emerge in spring, like the Luna Moth.
New England Asters & Goldenrod
Black Swallowtail catepillar
Monarch chrysalis in final stage
newly emerged monarch
At Vineyard Gardens, the same bustling and excitement is happening. We’re soaking up the remaining warmth of summer days and enjoying cool nights, knowing this is the best time to plant trees, bushes and perennials so they can set root before the ground freezes over. We’re excited about the upcoming Harvest Festival to celebrate another wonderful season on Martha’s Vineyard. We have incredible sales going on to give you some incentive to fill any holes in your garden in anticipation for next year.
Ornamental peppers
Mums
As I walk through my garden, holes are becoming more evident as the early and mid-summer perennials have faded away. I contemplate what to grow there. What will be a colorful and beneficial addition for our native species during this transition time? How about some late blooming flowers that give a flash of hope as we head into winter? Or a bush or tree that transitions to that brilliant autumn glow of dazzling ambers, reds and yellows? It is too late now to plant annual season extenders, which should have been planted a month or so ago, but I am reminded to think ahead in early summer about the autumn garden. Planted early enough though, Dalhias, Salvias and grasses are wonderful season extenders, adding color, texture and movement to your landscape.
Shrubs help create the bones and structure of the garden. They are aesthetically valuable, providing blooms at more than one level, as well as offering height that contributes to layering. Shrubs are also extremely beneficial as a habitat and food for wildlife. Native shrubs, like Viburnums, Buttonbush and Winterberry provide berries, seeds and protection throughout the winter months. Crape Myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica), offer taller blooms and beautiful exfoliating bark. Panicle hydrangeas are starting to fade from white to pink, and many are still blooming profusely. Hydrangea macrophyllas are reaching the end of their summer show but are transitioning to a burgundy color to match the fall pallette. Oak Leaf Hydrangea flowers have faded to burnt copper and compliment the bright yellow Helianthus Lemon Queen that can reach over six feet tall. The berries on Hollies are ripening and their evergreen leaves add structure within the winter garden.
Winterberry
Panicle Hydrangeas
Clerodendrum trichotomum
Late season spent flowers of Hydrangea macrophylla
Buttonbush
Hollies
A great option for autumn color in your garden is to add potted plants. Potted grasses will bring some height and texture. Mums, gourds and pumpkins near the front of your garden bed will add color and enhance the autumnal season palette. Place Brugmansia, Angels Trumpet, a wonderfully fragrant tropical plant, in a pot on your patio, and its nighttime fragrance will fill the fall air.
As summer fades, there is a lingering warmth and some colorful life that is still at its peak. Colchium, Autumn Crocus, emerges and is that bit of pink hope reminding us of summer blooms. African Blue Basil is particularly gorgeous this time of year with its purple hues and abundant blooms, a magnet for pollinators. This is the time of year that Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans), with its red flower spikes, and Mexican sage (Salvia leucantha) are putting on their best show. Salvia guaranitica and uliginosa’s blue tubular flowers contrast the toned down hues of the autumn landscape. Grasses are very showy and sway to the rhythm of the wind. Purple, pink and white asters and yellow goldenrods vibrate in meadows, helping monarchs find their way south.
I just love this time of year, lightly bundled up walking through orchards, the smell of ripening and decaying apples and pumpkins perfuming the air, shrubs and trees transitioning into their autumn fashion, the pace of life begins to slow and a moment for reflection is found. This transition between the bright excitement of summer and the dark quiet calm of winter captivates my nostalgic heart. As I finish writing this ode to autumn, my monarch has emerged and is ready for her next phase.
Colchium
Goldenrod & Asters
Brugmansia, Angels Trumpet
Harvest vignette
Salvia guaranitica
Goldenrod and newly emerged Monarch
Lobelia cardinalis [illustrated by karen blackerby logan]
by karen blackerby logan
There is nothing quite like sitting quietly in the garden with a sketchbook, playing plant detective and watching nature unfold it’s quiet magic. Lately, I’ve been completely captivated by our native Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis). Watching it through a biomimicry lens, studying how its physical structures, evolutionary strategies, and relationships with pollinators weave together, has provided me with profound insight into a beautiful evolutionary mutualism.
While I was out observing and drawing, a ruby-throated hummingbird came by for a visit, giving me a front-row seat to one of nature's magical partnerships in action.
sketchbook entry about cardinal flowers [karen blackerby logan]
If you look closely at a Cardinal Flower, the details of its design tells a story of co-evolution.
Hummingbirds have exceptional vision for red, unlike bees, which generally cannot see the red color spectrum and lack the physical aspects to access deep nectar. The flower's red, deep tubular structure is a beacon, perfectly matched for the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird's vision and long, slender beaks.
Even more fascinating is the engineering inside the stamen tube. The Cardinal Flower features a hollow angled, stamen tube with brush-like anthers at the tip, safely holding the female stigma inside until the timing is right. When a hummingbird dips its beak in for a drink of nectar, its forehead makes direct contact with this angled brush tube coated in pollen. The pollen precisely transfers onto the bird's forehead, ready to be carried off to pollinate the next flower.
Detail of male phase (upper) and female phase (lower) [image credit: karen blackerby logan]
Detail female phase and petal arrangement [image credit: karen blackerby logan]
Close up of female phase [image credit: karen blackerby logan]
Cardinal Flowers bloom in vertical spires, opening sequentially from the bottom up. Because hummingbirds naturally forage in this same upward direction (where the lower blooms offer the most nectar), self-pollination is prevented.
Each individual flower goes through two distinct phases:
The Male Phase: When the lower blooms first open up, the pollen is available on the anthers, while the female stigma is tucked away in the hollow fused stamen tube .
The Female Phase: As the season progresses and the hummingbirds work their way up the stalk, the older lower blooms age and the pollen phase is complete. The stigmas finally push their way through and open up, ready to catch fresh pollen brought by another hummingbird from a different Cardinal Flower.
The petals are designed for this partnership as well. The two side petals curl back while the lower three cleft petals droop into a funnel-like bullseye for the hummingbird to swoop in. In contrast, the Great Blue Lobelia’s (Lobelia siphilitica) "landing pad" lower petal evolved specifically to invite heavy-bodied native bees to land on.
This evolutionary split between the Cardinal Flower and the Great Blue Lobelia is a great lesson in resource sharing and pollination efficiency, allowing each plant to optimize its own unique pollinator specialist.
Lobelia Starship Deep Rose & Scarlet Bronze Leaf
Lobelia Starship Deep Rose & Scarlet Bronze Leaf. Rich bronze or purple foliage throughout the growing season. Adds a bold color for the late summer to early autumn garden.
While Cardinal Flowers are hummingbird magnets, Great Blue Lobelias are native bee havens and they both deserve a special place in your garden.
In nature, you’ll typically find these North American natives growing in wet, swampy soils, woodland edges, or low, damp spots in the landscape. If you have a rain garden, a spot near a pond or stream, or just a part-shade garden that holds moisture well, they will thrive. With consistently moist soil, they can thrive in sun as well.
Whether you fall in love with the classic native Cardinal Flower, the deep foliage of 'Queen Victoria' (a Royal Horticultural Society Award winner), or the slightly more compact Starship series, these plants bring an incredible sense of place, wonder, and life to the garden.
Grab a sketchbook, find a quiet spot near your flower beds, and see what stories your own garden plants are waiting to tell!
Lobelia ‘Great Blue’. A blue counterpart of the Cardinal Flower. Desirable plant for woodland gardens especially since it blooms bright blue in late summer.
Lobelia siphilitica and Aster
Prefer fertile, evenly moist soil.
Can be divided every 2-3 years in spring.
Allow to self sow.
Winter over with stems on.
Can be pinched back before flowering to produce more compact plants
Woodland paths
Perennial beds and border gardens with moist, well-drained soil.
Given enough water they can be fine with more sun.
Great choice for partial shade gardens
Well-suited for use in rain gardens, around ponds and streams and other moist areas.
Pairs well with ferns and heuchera
September Border at Vineyard Gardens. Crape Myrtles & Vitex [photo credit: keith kurman]
Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs! The combination of the weather cooling down and fall rain allows plants to establish their roots. Planting in the fall also gives trees and shrubs an extra growing season before the stress of summer heat and drought.
On warm days from here on out the Witchhazels will be unfurling their ribbon-like petals creating brilliant splashes of color in the stark winter landscape.
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Trees are exceptional fall extenders, offering stunning foliage transitions and late-season blooms that keep the landscape vibrant long after summer fades.
Franklinia alatamaha (Franklin Tree): Native to US. Typically grows to 15’x10’. Showy fragrant white flowers in August. Great fall color! Plant in full sun with light shade in moist soil.
Lagerstroemia indica crape myrtle: Multi stemmed trees with beautiful late season color. Blooms late summer into fall. Exfoliating bark which continues to be showy into winter. Great diversity available.
Maple Trees: Known for their fall color. {10 best Maples for fall color}
Acer palmatum: Japanese maples are easy to grow, cold hardy and remarkable adaptable. Their green leaf forms have the best fall color!
Acer ginnala: This smaller maple can be used as small specimen, patio tree and even works well in a container. It has a particularly fabulous fall color!
Myrica pensylvanica (Bayberry): Native to Martha’s Vineyard. Typically grows to 10’ x 8’. Plant in full sun. It tolerates drought once established. Deer resistant.
Nysa sylvatica (Beetlebung Tree): An island native that grows where there is quite a bit of water. Often found growing in low points and bogs on the island. Has beautiful fall color and a distinguished shape. We have some young beauties for sale at the nursery.
Osmanthus heterophyllus (False Holly): An evergreen shrub that typically grows to 10’ x 10’. Blooms late fall into the winter (Oct-Nov) with small fragrant white flowers. Shade tolerant and deer resistant.
Oxydendron arboreum: Native tree known for its fall color.
Nyssa sylvatica fall color
Hydrangea paniculata "‘Quickfire’
Shrubs serve as wonderful seasonal extenders, bringing extended interest through late-season berries, persistent blooms, and brilliant autumn foliage.
Callicarpa dichotoma: Beauty Bush with beautiful lavender berries.
Early Amethyst: A smaller variety
Pearl Glam: A new Proven Winner cultivar, with dark foliage.
Callicarpa japonica Leucocarpa: An upright beauty berry with white berries. Pale pink-white flowers in summer.
Fothergilla: A native shrub known for its fall color. It blooms in June and later lights up your yard with red and purple fall color. If you need a large shrub the species to get is major. There is a dwarf species available called gardenii, for a smaller shrub.
Hamamelis (Witch Hazel): Large native shrubs known for their fall color.
Hamamelis virginiana: A fall yellow bloomer
Hamamelis vernalis: Blooms in February
Hydrangeas: Many of the panicle hydrangeas fade to pink and hold the dried blooms way into the fall. There are some late summer bloomers that bloom into fall.
Symphoricarpos (Snow Berry): A season extender. This shrub has large white berries.
Vaccinium Corymbosum (High bush blueberry): Native to Martha’s Vineyard. Typically grows to 8’x 6’. Great fall color! Plant in full sun. Deer resistant.
Viburnums: There are many which have fabulous fall color and berries.
Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood viburnum): Native to Martha’s Vineyard. Non-fragrant flat-topped white flowers appear in late spring. Flowers give way to blue-black, berries which are quite attractive to birds and wildlife. Tolerates light shade.
Viburnum dilatatum: Known for their drooping berries. We carry Cardinal Candy with red berries and Michael Dodge with yellow berries.
Viburnum plicatums: These are Chris Wiley’s favorite Viburnum in flower.
Viburnum dilatatum Michael Dodge and some Virginia Creeper
late season spent flowers of Hydrangea macrophylla
Callicarpa dichotoma Beauty Berry
Cool weather greens & herbs [illustration by karen blackerby logan]
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As summer winds down and the nights turn crisp, it is the ideal window to plant your cool-weather crops. Varieties like broccoli, greens, arugula, spinach, and kale thrive in autumn conditions. Grow your own crisp lettuce, spicy arugula, tender spinach, and fresh annual herbs like cilantro, parsley, and dill right in your backyard! There is nothing quite like the flavor of homegrown greens harvested straight from the garden.
Cool autumn nights and crisp morning air cause plants to convert starches into sugars, resulting in sweeter flavor compared to summer-grown crops.
Hardy cool-season greens love the dropping temperatures. Many varieties will continue producing well past the first autumn frosts.
As the weather cools, common garden pests like aphids naturally decline, giving your crops a healthier growing cycle with less upkeep.
New England Asters [illustration by karen blackerby logan]
by Patrick Best
Asters are the hallmark of the late-season garden. While many associate plants like the native white wood aster (Aster divaricatus) or the long-blooming Monch aster (Aster frikartii) with the term “aster”, you may be surprised to learn that the aster family encompasses a huge variety of late-blooming perennials. From goldenrods (Solidago) to sunflowers (Helianthus), and from black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) to mums (Chrysanthemum), asters are everywhere!
Vineyard natives, white wood aster (Aster divaricatus) and hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula), pair nicely in the late-season garden.
Blue wood aster (Aster cordifolius) is a native aster that is well adapted to partial shade, unlike most asters which prefer sunny conditions.
Looking closely at an aster flower, you can see that these compound flowers are actually made up of many smaller, individual florets. Disk flowers make up the center of the bloom and lack petals, while ray flowers encircle the central disk and have one petal each. Not all asteraceous plants have blooms consisting of both disk and ray flowers, but their presence is a helpful way to tell that you’re looking at a species in the aster family.
Aster ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ exhibits the dual-floret morphology typical of the family, with the yellow disk flowers in the center and the purple ray flowers around the edge.
A close-up of a single ray flower.
In the ecosystem, these nectar-rich plants provide forage for a host of insects, especially the pollinators and bees looking for their final meals before the cold weather sets in. Native asters are far more valuable to the wider ecosystem than annual mums. Next time you walk by a mum, notice the absence of pollinators and then consider planting native asters in your fall pots!
Single-flowered annual mums offer the nectar-rich disk flowers valuable for late-season pollinators. The double-flowered mums only consist of ray flowers and are ecologically inert.
Dahlias are a popular late-season bloomer in the aster family and are well-suited to bouquets.
Generally starting in August, the asters commonly grown on Martha’s Vineyard bloom well into October, allowing the Vineyard gardener to enjoy a profusion of flowers into the fall.
Zinnias, an aster-family annual, provide a long season of color in the landscape
In the garden, it is vital to ensure that a plant’s habit matches the goals you have for that space. Some plants are more useful for their clumping habit, others for their freely-seeding nature, and still others for their rhizomatous spread, more commonly thought of as groundcover behavior, which allows for colonization of larger spaces. As there are a host of beautiful native plants in the Aster family, it is nice to know that any accidental spread of these plants into the wildlands is an act of ecosystem restoration, and not a sign of invasiveness.
Helen’s Flower (Helenium autumnale) blooms throughout the summer in the Vineyard Gardens display bed.
Twilight (rhizomatous spread)
Little Carlow (clumping)
Blue wood aster (clumping)
White wood aster (rhizomatous spread)
Vasterival (rhizomatous spread)
Prof. Anton von Kippenberg
Aster novi-angliae Alma Potschke (clumping)
Winston Churchill
Coreopsis
Zagreb
Moonbeam
C. tripteris Gold Standard
Echinacea
E. pallida
Eupatorium/Eutrochium
Joe Pye Weed
Boneset
Helenium
Moerheim Beauty
Sombrero
H. autumnale
Helianthus
Lemon Queen (rhizomatous spread)
Maximillian (rhizomatous spread)
Heliopsis
Summer Sun
Summer Nights
Bleeding Hearts
Leucanthemum/Nipponanthemum
Shasta Daisies (cvs.)
Montauk Daisies
Liatris
L. microcephala
Kobold
Floristan White and Purple
Solidago
Loysden Crown
S. canadensis ‘Crown of Rays’
Little Lemon
Rudbeckia
R. triloba Prairie glow (short-lived, seeds around non-aggressively)
R. subtomentosa Little Henry (clumping)
R. laciniata Autumn Sun/Herbstsonne (clumping)
Vernonia
V. noveboracensis
Chrysanthemum
Hardy (Claire Curtis, Igloo Series, Matchstick…)
Annuals
Dahlia, Cosmos, Marigold, Ageratum, Zinnia
Cornus kousa (Asian dogwood) fruit at Polly Hill Arboretum
by Keith Kurman / Updated by Patrick Best
Martha’s Vineyard has long, warm falls that can often linger into December, allowing the ambitious year-round gardener to extend the traditional summer bloom season by months. With insightful planning, you, too, can engineer a full and floriferous garden from early spring straight through the first frost and beyond. Indeed, as the climate continues to warm, the Vineyard gardener need only suffer a few weeks in the dead of winter without something in bloom. However, a garden like this takes careful planning. Some plants don’t begin flowering until September or later, so space must be provisioned such that they may perform to their fullest potential that late in the growing season, when other plants are competing for space. Yielding space in the middle and back of your borders can allow late-blooming perennials to lend texture and substance alongside earlier flowering annuals and bulbs and space to grow into gaps left vacant by the late spring perennial displays. Take this space allocation into consideration when planning your garden beds. Distribute your late flowering plants evenly through the border and stagger height and depth, allowing space for earlier flowers.
Autumn tones in the display gardens at Vineyard Gardens
1. STAKING or HEADING BACK: Chrysanthemums (hardy mums), Asters, Phlox paniculata (garden phlox), Nipponanthemum nipponicum (Montauk daisy), and other late-season perennials need pinching back before early July. The extent to which this is done can vary from a conservative tip-out to a more drastic cutting back by one-third to one-half. The Anglophiles among us may know this as the “Chelsea Chop,” in reference to the Chelsea Flower Show, which is held in late spring each year. It’s important to provide support for some of the tall growing perennials early in the season to allow them to grow into your staking system. Bamboo stakes and jute twine are probably the most straightforward approach, but peony hoops and tomato cages can be very effective as well. Staking may seem a little fussy and early in the season, but you’ll be glad you did when the late season storms return.
2. DROUGHT: Irrigation requires constant monitoring, and gardens often require supplemental water during long dry spells. Over the course of the gardening year, any number of things can happen to disturb a basic irrigation system: from root blockage to punctured lines.
3. HERBIVORY: Across the island, it seems that few gardeners are safe from the animals who would make your garden their dinner. From deer to rabbits and chipmunks to avians, there is no shortage of hungry animals as wild habitats are consumed by new development. Regular applications of Bobbex can help dissuade deer from browsing your plants, but I have heard many reports that rabbits are unfazed by the stench and continue munching. For bunny damage, I recommend hot pepper wax (capsaicin), available as a spray and applied regularly to lower growing plants. In areas where repellants fall short, physical barriers such as caging and fencing are the best options. Sorry, up-islanders, I’m talking to you.
4. CATEPILLARS (and other insects): Many native plants play host to the caterpillar larvae of some fantastic moths and butterflies. Considering this, I always recommend doing some research before impulsively reaching for insecticide. If the damage isn’t widespread, I urge you to accept this as a sign that your garden is a part of the wider ecosystem, which is surely something to celebrate! If treatment is necessary, organic options such as Safer Soap, Neem Oil, Pyrethrum, or Bt are best.
Lespedeza thunbergii (bush clover) and Pycnanthemum muticum (mountain mint) at Polly Hill Arboretum
September border with Crape Myrtles, Vitex, and Rudbeckia
Asters, Eupatorium/Eutrochium (Boneset/Joe Pie Weed, both lovely natives), Vernonia (Ironweed), Chrysanthemum/Dendranthema (Hardy Mum), Agastashe (Anise Hyssop), Phlox, Anemone, Tricyrtis (Toad Lilies), Late-Blooming Hostas, Helianthus (Perennial Sunflowers), Hibiscus moscheutos (Rose Mallow), Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susan and relatives), Kirengeshoma palmata (Yellow Wax Bells), Aconitum (Monkshood), Chelone (Turtlehead), Patrinia scabiosifolia, Pycnanthemum (Mountain Mint), Physostegia (not-so Obedient Plant), Solidago (Goldenrod), Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (Hardy Plumbago), Garden Sage (Salvia glabrescens, Salvia koyamae, Salvia uliginosa), Hardy Plectranthus/Rabdosia species, Dicentra ‘White Diamonds’ and ‘Bacchanal’ (Everblooming Bleeding Hearts), Geranium (Cranesbill), Eucomis (Pineapple Lily), Nipponanthemum (Montauk Daisy), Begonia grandis (Hardy Begonia), Persicaria, Colchicum (Fall Crocus), some Sedum, Caryopteris divaricata
Tropical Salvias (Salvia guaranitaca, Salvia leucantha, etc), Chrysanthemums, Dahlias, Cosmos, Marigolds, Rudbeckia hirta, Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower), Arctotis, Petunias, Celosia, Browallia, Ricinus, Coleus, Hedychium (Ginger Lilies)… and oh so many more!
Petunia and Coleus
Coleus and Tithonia ‘Torch’
Dahlias with Salvia guaranitaca ‘Black and Blue’
Petunia violacea
Hydrangea paniculata (Panicle Hydrangea), Buddleia (Butterfly Bush) and Spirea (if dead- headed throughout the season), Caryopteris x clandonensis (Bluebeard), Lespedeza thunbergii (Bush Clover), Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle), Vitex (Chastetree), Abelia x grandiflora, Fall-Blooming Camellias (like ‘Winter’s Snowman’), some Illicium (a highly deer-resistant evergreen for shade, look for ‘Orion’), Mahonia x media (‘Winter Sun’, ‘Charity’, and ‘Arthur Menzies’ are common), some Daphne (Daphne x transatlantica blooms through November), Hibiscus syriaca (Rose of Sharon), Hamamelis virginiana (native witch hazel blooms fragrant yellow flowers)
A yellow-leafed selection of Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Aurea’)
The fading flowers of Hydrangea macrophylla add moodiness to the garden
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Tardiva’ with Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ in the foreground
Abelia x grandiflora
Fothergilla (bottlebrush), Itea virginica (sweetspire), Clethra (sweet pepperbush) Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper), Rhus sp. (sumac), Hamamelis/Parrotia (witch hazel family), Grasses (Hakonechloa, Panicum, Schizachryium, Andropogon, Carex, Calamagrostis, Pennisetum, etc.), Ferns (Dryopteris, Athyrium, Osmunda, Onoclea, Polystichum, Dennstaedtia, etc.), Nyssa (tupelo), Acer (maples), Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Viburnum dilatatum ‘Michael Dodge’ and Virginia Creeper
Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
Viburnum, Ilex (winterberry and hollies), Callicarpa (beautyberry), Roses, Crabapples
Tea roses will continue flowering well past first frost
Japanese Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma)
These lists are just a starting point and there are so many more wonderful plants to choose from. Fall is a great time to plant and many of the plants listed above are available for sale at the nursery, including many specialty plants.
Anemone [illustration by karen blackerby logan]
The common name windflower comes from the way the delicate, poppy-like blossoms sway gracefully in the breeze, a trait reflected in the Greek word anemos, meaning "wind." Ranging from native spring ephemerals to summer and autumn bloomers, anemones can offer a continuous display from spring through fall. Don't let their whimsical blooms fool you, many varieties are remarkably tough because they spread via underground rhizomes and can form robust colonies over time.
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Japanese anemones add a magnificent splash of color to the autumn garden when most perennials are beginning to fade. They are exceptional garden extenders that spread happily when sited in moist soils and space to roam.
Sunlight: Thrive best in partial shade and protection from harsh afternoon sun. They can tolerate full sun as long as the soil remains consistently moist.
Soil: Prefer rich, moisture-retentive soil. Water regularly during dry spells.
Bloom Time: Mid-summer to late fall.
Mixed borders, cottage gardens, coastal gardens, and naturalized areas.
Moonlight Gardens: White-blooming anemones stand out strikingly at twilight, catching the evening light to create a luminous, glowing effect.
Most garden-variety Japanese anemones are hybrids (Eriocapitella × hybrida), varying in height up to 3 to 4 feet. While many popular selections feature single blossoms, we also offer double-flowered forms like 'Pamina'.
'Wild Swan': White blossoms featuring a distinctive bluish-violet band on the reverse of the sepals.
'Honorine Jobert': Classic white single flowers.
'September Charm': Silvery-pink single flowers.
'Robustissima': Vigorous grower with clear pink single flowers.
'Bressingham Glow': Deep, rich rose-pink flowers.
'Pamina': Deep rose-pink double flowers.
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A native spring ephemeral. It blooms early before the overhead tree canopy leafs out, utilizing the spring sun before dying back to dormancy as shade takes over. It typically has 5 sepals (which function as petals) that linger longer than true petals and is why it’s scientific name is quinquefolia meaning five leafed.
Thrives in partly shaded locations with moist to moderately dry soils. In early summer, it produces greenish-white sepals above dark green foliage. Following the bloom, it develops characteristic thimble-like seed heads that turn fluffy as they disperse in autumn.
Features long stems topped with white blossoms from May to June. While its foliage looks delicate, it is a very hardy plant that forms dense colonies in moderate to moist soils with partial to full sun.
Anemone canadensis
Wood Anemone (Anemone nemerosa ‘Vestal’
VINEYARD GARDENS LANDSCAPING HARMONIOUSLY MERGES THIS CHILMARK PROPERTY INTO ITS NATIVE ECOSYSTEM
Situated down a dirt road in the woods of Chilmark, this property is surrounded by mature oaks, pines and flowering shrubs. The cultivated landscape meshes beautifully with the surrounding ecosystem. A path-like lawn winds it’s way around the house meandering past native and ornamental shrubs alike, a mixture of evergreen screening and a colorful annual garden. A beautiful container garden sits upon the back patio with the backdrop of large PG Hydrangeas and native Clethra. A stone pathway from the house leads to a patio nestled in the woods. This property sits on a few acres with wood chip paths lined with well placed rhododendrons, hydrangeas and native shrubs. The path meanders past a yoga area and a sitting area under a gorgeous oak tree.
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The screening is a mixture of big evergreens: Western Red Cedar (native), American Hollys (native) and Rhododendron maximum (native to eastern seaboard but not Martha’s Vineyard). Deciduous flowering shrubs are incorporated within the screening such as Viburnums (some native) and a mixture of hydrangeas (Oak Leaf (native), Blue Ball, Climbing and PG). To finish it off we intermixed many ferns and astilbe.
Big evergreens for screening: Western Red Cedars (native), American Hollys (native)
Viburnums in the screening (native), Oak Lead Hydrangea, Clethra (native)
Rhododendron maximum
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BEFORE
AFTER
by karen blackerby logan
A member of the Asteraceae (Aster) family, Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium) is a late-summer blooming native with vital ecological value. It serves as a primary late-season nectar source for pollinators, including monarchs, swallowtails, and native bees, while its seed heads provide key autumn and winter forage for songbirds. Beyond its ecological importance, Joe-Pye weed is a wonderful landscape plant, helping with erosion control, naturalizing rain gardens, woodland borders, pond shores, and native meadows.
Joe-Pye Weed [illustration by karen blackerby logan]
In nature, every form follows a functional purpose. When you observe plant architecture closely, you begin to uncover universal evolutionary strategies.
For me, creating botanical illustrations is far more than capturing a likeness: it is an exercise in field observation. While drawing in the garden, I observe which species interact with the plant, feel its textures, smell its aromas, and attempt to deduce its defense mechanisms, structural adaptations, and reproductive strategies. It becomes a fascinating game of botany detective: analyzing the details using all my senses, and then diving into reliable research to see how accurate my hypotheses are.
Here is what I observed while illustrating and sitting with Joe-Pye weed in the garden, in combination with researching the botanical science behind its design.
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karen’s sketchbook observations
Tall Structure (4–8+ feet): Growing tall allows Joe-Pye weed to have greater access to sunlight while surrounded by lower vegetation.
Pithed or Hollow Stems: The thick stems provide great structural integrity, resisting wind and rain without toppling over.
Purple Stems: The purple stems have anthocyanin pigment that acts as a sun shield protecting the plant from solar radiation and deterring herbivorous insects.
Whorled Leaf Pattern: Radiating out in whorls of 3 to 6 leaves per node, this arrangement prevents upper leaves from completely shading lower foliage, maximizing sunlight capture.
Serrated Margins: The finely jagged leaf edges help facilitate rapid transpiration, absorbing and releasing moisture to cool the plant during hot summer days.
Chemical Defenses: When crushed, the leaves emit a subtle, sweet vanilla scent, which serve as an effective chemical deterrent against browsing deer and rabbits.
Inflorescence: Arranged in broad, dome grouping, many tiny florets form a sturdy, accessible platform. This allows butterflies and bees to feed continuously while expending minimal energy.
Styles: The fuzzy, thread-like bristles on the flower heads are actually extended styles coated in pollen, guaranteeing that visiting insects will help with cross-pollination.
Nectar: The faint vanilla aroma and the high sugar concentration in the nectar rewards migrating butterflies and native bees in late summer.
Wind-Dispersed Seeds: The seeds, attached to delicate bristles operate much like dandelion seeds, floating in the breeze to their next destination. In winter, non-dispersed seeds become vital energy sources for songbirds.
Rhizomes: Below ground, Joe-Pye weed spreads via short, woody rhizomes. This forms dense, stable colonies that bind the soil, making it exceptional for controlling shoreline and wetland erosion.
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Four Eutrochium species native to Martha’s Vineyard and the surrounding coastal plain ecosystem. While they look similar at first glance, key botanical details set them apart:
It features hollow, smooth stems that are often purplish. It is the tallest of the Eutrochium, frequently exceeding 6.5 to 8 feet tall. Very common in damp, sunny areas, wet meadows, and roadside ditches.
Stems are solid and green, with distinct purple pigmentation mainly on leaf nodes. Leaves release a noticeable vanilla fragrance when crushed. Prefers slightly cooler, partially shaded spots along woodland edges and clearings.
Shorter and more compact (typically 3–5 feet), making it well-suited for home gardens. It has fewer individual florets per flower head (5–9 florets per head, compared to 9–22 in spotted Joe-Pye weed) and thicker, darker leaves. Well adapted to the sandy, acidic soil conditions and coastal damp habitats found throughout Martha's Vineyard, including pond shores and meadows.
Identified by its stems that are heavily mottled with dark purple spots (some variations can occasionally feature hollow stems). It features flat-topped flower clusters rather than domed ones and has the widest geographic range of all the Joe-Pye species. Thrives in full sun to partial shade in medium-wet to saturated soils.
To create a vibrant, ecologically rich native bed, pair Joe-Pye weed with these native island companions that share similar sun and moisture requirements:
Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor)
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Flat-Topped White Aster (Doellingeria umbellata)
Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea)
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
When late summer arrives and other perennials begin to fade, sedums, commonly known as stonecrops, standout. Belonging to the family Crassulaceae, this diverse genus contains hundreds of species prized for their thick, succulent foliage and exceptional drought tolerance. Hardy, reliable, and effortless to grow, sedums thrive in full sun and well draining soil. While they perform best with plenty of sunlight, many groundcover varieties tolerate light afternoon shade. In addition to their rugged nature, sedum blooms are an invaluable late-season nectar source, drawing native bees, butterflies, and beneficial pollinators to the garden.
Sedums grown at our on site production location
To help choose the right plant for your landscape, sedums are grouped by their growth habits.
Creeping & Rock Garden Sedum: Low growing groundcovers that form dense, weed-suppressing carpets up to 3 feet wide. Many feature small, tight rosettes that mimic tiny floral buds that are actually foliage.
Tall/Upright Border Sedum: Mounding, shrub-like perennials reaching 1.5 to 3 feet tall. These feature stout stems and broad, flat flower heads that hold their structure well into winter.
Trailing Sedum: Varieties with cascading stems perfect for spilling over stone retaining walls, hanging baskets, or patio containers.
We stock a wide selection of creeping, mid-sized, and upright sedums for all areas of your garden.
Sedum rupestris “Angelina”: A rock garden spreader with needle-like yellow foliage that turns a warm copper-orange in autumn, topped with bright yellow summer flowers.
Sedum reflexum “Blue Spruce”: Cool blue-gray foliage resembling tiny evergreen branches; ideal for rock gardens and edging paths.
Sedum “Steel the Show”: A dense groundcover with striking blue-green foliage, perfect ground cover for a sunny garden.
Sedum dasphyllum “Major”: A delicate-looking creeping variety with tiny, rounded leaves that resemble soft blue flowers.
Sedum Sunsparkler Series: A popular series of compact, medium sized sedums (8–18 inches tall) with a range of foliage color and disease resistance.
Some available cultivars are 'Dazzleberry', 'Plum Dazzled', 'Cherry Tart', 'Lime Zinger', 'Firecracker', and 'Blue Elf'.
Sedum ‘Munstead Dark Red’: An upright selection growing 15–18 inches tall with deep green foliage and dark ruby-red flower clusters.
Sedum ‘Mojave Jewels Saphire’: Featuring rich plum-purple stems and foliage topped with contrasting rose-pink blooms.
Sedum ‘Night Light’: Growing 22–26 inches tall with an expansive spread and features soft yellow flowers that mature into warm goldish seed heads.
Sedum in a planted container
Flowering yellow sedum with Butterfly Bush and Hydrangea paniculata
Soil: Plant in well-drained soil. Heavy clay should be amended with coarse sand to prevent root rot during wet winter months.
Watering: Water deeply after planting to establish the root system. Once established, sedums require minimal supplemental watering.
Winter Interest: Leave the dried flower heads on upright varieties over winter; they add structural architecture to snowy beds and provide seed heads for foraging birds.
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Scentsation Honeysuckle
As summer annuals fade, late-season blooming vines step up to bring dramatic color, texture, and ecological value to the autumn landscape. Vertical gardening maximizes limited footprints, creating living walls that cool the surrounding air, absorb carbon dioxide, and provide crucial late-season food and shelter for birds, butterflies, and native pollinators. Even in small spaces, potted vines weaving up porch railings bring vital energy to underutilized structures.
Here are four vines to elevate your autumn garden.
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Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), an eastern native vine produces rich clusters of tubular, bright coral-red flowers with yellow interiors. While it begins it’s blooms in late spring, it reliably reblooms throughout late summer and into autumn. The tubular flowers are a primary nectar source for hummingbirds and native bees, while fall berries feed songbirds. Goldflame honeysuckle (Lonicera × heckrottii 'Goldflame') are closely related and share a similar vining habit.
Cultivation: Extremely adaptable, it thrives in full sun to partial shade, though full sun yields the most blooms. Unlike invasive exotic honeysuckles, it is non-invasive and performs exceptionally well in large containers alongside a patio trellis.
Goldflame Honeysuckle
Scentsation Honeysuckle
Goldflame Honeysuckle
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For gardeners who love the dramatic look of cascading purple blooms American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) is the ideal native (to North America). Producing compact, grape-like clusters of fragrant lavender-blue flowers, American Wisteria blooms in early summer and frequently produces repeat blooms into early autumn.
Pruning: This woody vine requires a sturdy, heavy-duty arbor or metal trellis for support. Because American Wisteria sets flower buds on new wood (the current season's growth), pruning in late winter or early spring encourages vigorous new stems and abundant flower clusters.
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Small-flowered Clematis viticella cultivars and hybrids, such as the fragrant bell-shaped 'Betty Corning' or the deep indigo 'Rooguchi', are prized for their disease resistance and exceptional late-season blooms. These vines climb by wrapping delicate leaf petioles around trellis wire or neighboring shrubs, making them excellent companions for growing up and through late-blooming shrubs.
Spring Pruning: Most late-blooming clematis require hard pruning. Cutting the stems back in early spring, to about 12–18 inches above the soil, stimulates a flush of fresh new stems from the crown, resulting in a denser plant with far more flowers in autumn.
Roguchi Clematis
Clematis Rooguchi seed pod
Clematis Mrs. Robert Brydor
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A tough, fast-growing vine native to eastern North America, Virgin's Bower lights up the late-summer and early-autumn garden with swaths of sweet-smelling white blooms. Blooming from late August through September, its small, four-petaled white flowers attract a wide array of native bees, beneficial wasps, and syrphid flies. In late autumn, female plants form silvery, feathery seed heads and persist into winter, providing nesting material and winter interest.
Cultivation: Like most clematis species, it prefers roots in the shade flowers in the sun. Keep the root area cool and moist with organic mulch or companion plantings, while allowing the climbing vines to reach full sun for maximum blooms.
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Whether trained over a pergola, woven along a porch railing, or spilling over a large patio container, late-blooming vines turn vertical spaces into dynamic, living tapestries that keep your garden vibrant and full of life long after summer fades.
(L to R) Coreopsis, Rudbeckia, Agastache & Allium
Late summer brings a distinct shift to the garden. While some mid-season bloomers begin to fade, many late-blooming perennials and shrubs are just reaching their peak. Here’s how to keep your landscape thriving through late summer and into autumn.
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Trim back leggy annuals and remove spent flowers to stimulate fresh growth and continuous flower buds.
Every 10-14 days dd a diluted liquid fertilizer when watering to encourage continued blooms.
Hold off on fertilizing established trees and shrubs starting in August. Late-season nitrogen pushes tender new growth that won't have time to harden off before early autumn frosts, resulting in tip dieback, damaged vascular tissue, and entry points for pathogens.
Stake tall perennials like dahlias, goldenrod, and late sunflowers that may be top-heavy or leaning after summer rainstorms.
Cut back spent perennial blooms to clean up plant silhouettes. Certain species (like salvia, catmint, and coreopsis) may reward you with a second flush of flowers before frost.
Pick warm-weather crops like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and summer squash frequently. Consistent harvesting prevents plants from going to seed and encourages continuous yield.
Now’s the time to sow cool-season crops: lettuce, spinach, arugula, carrots, beets, beans, kale, and peas for fall harvest. Direct-seed greens like spinach, arugula, lettuce, and kale, along with root crops like beets, radishes, and carrots. Fast-maturing bush beans and snow peas can also be sown early in the month.
Summer heat speeds up seed production for opportunistic weeds like crabgrass and wild blackberry. Pull them before they drop seed into the soil for next spring.
Leave late-blooming native perennials (such as coneflowers, asters, joe-pye weed, and goldenrod) intact as vital nectar sources for bees, butterflies, and migrating monarchs.
Agastache foeniculum will grow 2-3′ tall in full sun and well drained soil. Numerous species of bees and butterflies are attracted to it’s purple-blue flowers.
Anise Hyssop / Hummingbird Mint
If you are looking for an edible, long-blooming perennial and is fantastic for pollinators, Agastache deserves a spot in your sunny garden beds. Its nectar-rich, tubular flower spikes are irresistible to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. As a member of the mint family, its fragrant foliage offers an aromatic licorice-mint scent that naturally repels deer.
Agastache foeniculum
Agastache foeniculum Blue Fortune
Agastache foeniculum
These robust varieties reliably return year after year on the Vineyard. They feature lavender-blue flower spikes from midsummer through fall and reseed gently in sunny spots.
Black Adder: An outstanding hybrid cross (A. foeniculum x A. rugosa) featuring deep smoky-violet buds that open to soft lavender-blue flowers.
Blue Fortune: A hybrid celebrated for its dense, 3-foot powder-blue flower spikes and exceptional humidity tolerance.
Golden Jubilee: Striking chartreuse-to-yellow foliage paired with dense blue-purple flower spikes.
Little Adder: A compact, dwarf version of 'Black Adder' that offers the same rich blue blooms on a shorter, mounded frame.
Agastache Black Adder
Agastache Little Adder
Sun: Thrives best in full sun.
Soil: Prefers dry-to-medium, well-draining soil.
Watering: Highly drought-tolerant once established. Avoid poorly drained or flooded areas, as wet winter soil causes root rot.
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Agastache (left corner) infront of the herb garden
There are many other Agastache species and hybrids we carry. While nursery catalogs often list many hybrid Agastache as Zone 5 hardy, our Vineyard winter freeze-thaw cycles, combined with damp winter soil, make them tricky to perennialize. In a true Zone 5, the ground freezes and stays frozen, protecting the crowns. Therefore, we treat these varieties as long-season annuals. They bloom non-stop from early summer right up until a hard killing frost, often around Thanksgiving, filling the autumn garden with vibrant color.
Agastache aurantiaca ‘Apricot Sprite’: We grow these from seed and are a great season extender. It is the perfect orange color for fall.
Kudos™ Series: Compact hybrids available in rich shades including Mandarin, Ambrosia, Coral, Gold and Silver Blue. Plant these in the summer for a long fall season of color. Their minty foliage is not eaten by deer.
‘Rosie Posey’ & ‘Peachie Keen’: These are shorter, more mounded plants with two-tone rose-pink and peach blooms. They want a sunny location and are drought tolerant once established. Easy to grow.
‘Mango Tango’: Vibrant magenta-pink buds that open to soft mango-orange flowers.
“Combine them with other season extenders like salvias and chrysanthemums. Plant them with late season asters, perennial sunflowers and rudbeckia for and unforgettable autumn display.” - Chris Wiley, owner
Agastache Mango Tango
Agastache Kudos Coral
Agastache Apricot Sprite
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Agastache is a versatile perennial, with many uses in the coastal landscape.
Rock Gardens: Pair compact varieties with creeping succulents, thyme, stonecrop (Sedum), dianthus, ice plant (Delosperma), and blue fescue (Festuca glauca).
Hellstrips & Curbsides: Plant along hot driveways or street borders with other low-water favorites like lavender, catmint, yarrow, beardtongue (Penstemon), and fountain grass (Pennisetum).
Patio Containers: Pot a dwarf Agastache in a decorative planter alongside lantana, gazania, or Osteospermum.
Pollinator Meadows: Naturalize in a sunny meadow alongside native black-eyed Susans, Liatris, purple coneflower (Echinacea), milkweed, and native asters.
Herb Gardens: Blend Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) into culinary gardens next to oregano, marjoram, sage, rosemary, thyme, and lavender.
Slopes & Banks: Mass along sunny hillsides, alternating groups of other drought tolerant plants like lavender, Russian sage (Perovskia) and tickseed (Coreopsis).
Late-Season Border: Pair with goldenrod, Joe Pye weed, maiden grass (Miscanthus), and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) for a stunning prairie-style fall border.
Agastache foeniculum
The peak days of summer are here, and for Martha’s Vineyard gardeners that marks the time to start a new round of cool weather crops. Because we’re surrounded by water, our island enjoys a uniquely extended growing season. While we often get a few light frosts in October, we rarely see a true hard frost until November. This long, beautiful autumn gives us the perfect window to plant right now for a robust, late-season harvest.
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We’ve already started our first rounds of seedlings. Stop by to grab yours and get planting today!
Lettuce & Arugula: Our first batches are up! We’ll continue seeding fresh lettuce every few weeks into autumn, shifting toward hardier winter lettuce varieties as the season cools down.
Spinach: Freshly germinated and ready to grow.
Hardy Favorites: Kale, Oakleaf Lettuce, and Red Swiss Chard.
Asian Greens: Tender Pac Choy and Bok Choy.
Brassicas: Broccoli and Cauliflower
Give your fall kitchen garden a refresh with these culinary and aromatic herbs:
Thyme (Lemon & White 'Albiflorus')
Sage & Chives
Greek Oregano & French Tarragon
Lavender, Rosemary & Germander
Scented Geraniums & Alpine Strawberries
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Broccoli Waltham 29: "We’ve found a reliable strain that consistently produces 6" heads with medium beads on attractive stocky 20" plants."
Arugula Ice bread: "This is arugula with more bite, vigorous with complex full flavors."
Kale Dazzling Blue Dinosaur: "Vigorous 24–34" upright savoyed lacinato-leaved kale in a range of bluish-green shades and all with a dramatic pink mid-rib. Sure to attract attention of chefs, market growers and gardeners alike."
Swiss chard Red rhubarb: "Deep crimson stalks, dark green leaves. Very hardy. Beautiful for edible landscapes. Heirloom from Europe goes back to 1857"
Lettuce red sails: "An attractive large plant with purplish red-splashed rosettes serrated with bubbled frills, Red Sails delivers lightly crunchy lobes with good melting texture. "
Lettuce New red Fire: "Has Red Sails’ characteristic ruffled leaves, though slightly lighter coloration, and good size. Has been among the last to bolt, lasting as late as July 29. Also quite cold-hardy. Tender sweet flavor with almost no bitterness."
Lettuce Black Seeded Simpson: "The earliest and most popular looseleaf variety."
Spinach Tundra: "Tastefully crinkled oval leaves are held off the ground for easy baby-leaf and mature harvests."
Buttercrunch: “Dark green outer leaves with broad mid-ribs and a creamy white center heart. Slow to bolt. Excellent flavor.”
Blue Scotch Kale: “Dense frilly finely curled blue-green leaves on compact upright 12–16" plants stand well, maintain color and resist yellowing in cold and heat. Hardy and productive. Best as a fall crop, planted in July or early August. More variable than the hybrids. Cold-hardy.”
Bok Choy Prize Choy: “Open-pollinated. Classy pac choi with celery-like white stems and vase-shaped 15-18" tall heads. Succulent stems and tender greens.”
[*Descriptions cited from Fedco Seed Catalog]
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Add long-term perennial value to your garden patch. The following varieties are in stock and ready to plant:
Blueberries: Patriot, Bluecrop, Chippewa, Chandler, Reka & Darrow
Raspberries: Killarney & Caroline
Blackberries: Natchez
Elderberries: Samdal & Samyl
Killarney Raspberry display
Caroline Raspberry display
Blueberry display
Highbush Blueberry
Alpine Strawberries
Blackberries
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Still looking for summer flavor?
We also have warm weather crops like tomatoes, eggplant & peppers available for immediate and late summer harvest!
Eggplant
Eggplant
Sungold Tomatoes
