by Connie Oswald Stofko
Freshen up your landscape with autumn annuals.
From traditional mums to a newer variety of ornamental peppers, Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses has plants to brighten up your autumn landscape.
Let’s start with mums. There are early-season, mid-season and late-season mums. They bloom at different times, depending on the variety.
Early-season mums are available now. When I took these photos last week, the flowers were just opening.
Some people like to choose a plant whose flowers aren’t fully open yet so they can enjoy the plant longer. Others like a plant where all the flowers are already open so they have instant beauty. You can pick the specimen you like best.
Pansies are one of my favorite flowers. They look sweet and delicate, but they can tolerate cold weather and even some frost. They come in purple, blue, yellow and orange. Some flowers are a solid color while others have patterns. You can see why gardeners come back to pansies every autumn.
Even if you like the traditional plants, take a look around when you visit Mischler’s, located at 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. You may see something you haven’t noticed before. I was intrigued by the ‘Hot Pops’ ornamental peppers, which are are round rather than long and pointy. They look like tiny lollipops. The purple color adds interest, too.
You don’t have to choose just one of these autumn flowers. You can can create a beautiful container with a mixture of plants. Or you can pick up a patio pot already planted at Mischler’s– there are many different combinations to choose from.
Mischler’s makes custom patio pots, too. Leave your pot with them and they’ll do the rest.
One last tip: Stop in to Mischler’s soon for their White Tag sale on perennials. Any perennial marked with a white tag is only $5. Buy them and get them in the ground soon.
