11 Perennials to Plant in Fall for a Stunning Spring Garden Plant these flowers now to beautify your landscape later. Close Credit: Getty Images Thanks to its mild temperatures, fall is an incredible time of year to plant just about any perennial you want to see flourishing in your garden next year. Whether you want to add new bulbs to your flower garden or fill in negative space with more foliage, our gardening experts say these perennials will give you a stunning show come spring—just be sure to get them in the ground before your area's first frost. Erin Schanen, gardening expert and creator of The Impatient Gardener blog and YouTube channel. Teri Speight, gardener and the author of Black Flora: Profiles of Inspiring Black Flower Farmers and Florists PeggyAnne Montgomery, horticulturist and bulb expert for Flowerbulbs.com 25 Vegetables to Plant in Fall for a Cold-Weather Harvest Coral Bells Credit: GETTY IMAGES Coral Bells (Heuchera americana) boast colorful foliage and delicate flowers that bloom from late spring through summer. "With a range of colors from chartreuse to pink, silver, and orange, heuchera adds a shot of color to a garden or serves as a backdrop for a star plant," says Erin Schanen, gardening expert and creator of The Impatient Gardener blog and YouTube channel. Zones: 5 to 9Size: 8 to 12 inches tall x 12 to 18 inches wideCare requirements: Partial shade; rich, organic well-draining soil Find Your Growing Zone Here Coneflower Credit: GETTY IMAGES Native plants are a star in the garden—they're drought-tolerant, disease-resistant, and welcome essential pollinators. Coneflower (Echinacea), a popular native plant, is best planted in autumn. "These perennials add beauty to the garden when in bloom over the summer months," says Teri Speight, gardener and the author of Black Flora: Profiles of Inspiring Black Flower Farmers and Florists. "In the fall, I leave the seed heads so they can drop and provide new seedlings, unless they are eaten by the birds over the winter." Zones: 3 to 9Size: 3 to 4 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to part shade; moist, well-drained soil Use fall's mild temperatures to plant perennials before the first frost. This will help ensure that the plants are well-established and ready to provide a beautiful display in the spring. Russian Sage Credit: anmbph / Getty Images If you want to bring beauty and pollinators to your garden, consider planting Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), a beautiful bloomer with silvery foliage and blue-purple flowers. "When planted near evergreen shrubs, the gray stems add a touch of artistic whimsy to the landscape," says Speight. "In the springtime, the basal foliage often increases in size and can be divided or easily pruned." Zones: 4 to 9 Size: 28 to 34 inches tall x 24 to 36 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil Shasta Daisy Credit: GETTY IMAGES When planted in fall, the roots of Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum × superbum) can develop deeply in the soil. When roots develop deep in the earth, the plant won't need as much water and can therefore withstand harsher conditions, says Speight. Zones: 4 to 9Size: 6 to 48 inches tall x 12 to 24 feet tall Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil 12 Most Common Types of Daisies—and How to Know Which Ones Are Best for Your Garden Black-Eyed Susan Credit: GETTY IMAGES A well-known perennial to plant during fall is black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). The low-maintenance native plant produces bright yellow blooms that bloom in late spring and continue into fall. Some varieties like Early Bird Gold will bloom earlier in the season. Zones: 4 to 9Size: 24 to 36 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil How to Grow and Care for Black-Eyed Susans Hellebore Credit: GETTY IMAGES When planning your spring flower garden, you'll want to keep hellebores (Helleborus) in mind. This perennial is one of the first to bloom each year, usually around February. "Different varieties offer blooms in a wide range of colors and shapes, with some that face up and others that dangle down, but all are delightful harbingers of the gardening season to come," Schanen says. Zones: 4 to 9Size: 24 to 36 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil Mini Daffodil Credit: Liudmyla Liudmyla / GETTY IMAGES Mini daffodils (Cyclamineus narcissus) bloom in early to mid-spring, but are best planted during fall. The plant has eye-catching sunshine-yellow flowers that are long-lasting. They're small enough to add to the front of any perennial or shrub border and are great for rock gardens and containers, too. "These bulbs naturalize, meaning they will multiply and come back every year," says PeggyAnne Montgomery, horticulturist and bulb expert for Flowerbulbs.com. "Best of all, deer won’t eat them." Zones: 4 to 8Size: 8 to 10 inches tall x 4 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun to part sun; average, well-drained soil Flowering Onion Credit: Jacky Parker Photography / GETTY IMAGES There is nothing quite like flowering onion (Allium schubertii). "The flowers radiate from a central ball-shaped umbel up to 18 inches wide with up to 100 tiny florets," says Montgomery. "They bloom in late spring to early summer with reddish-purple flowers. The dried flower heads remain attractive and draw attention for many weeks." Like all allium, flowering onion attracts pollinators but won't be bothered by deer. Zones: 3 to 8Size: 16 to 18 inches tall x 18 to 20 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; average, well-drained soil Parrot Tulips Credit: Anna Yu / GETTY IMAGES Parrot tulips should be planted where you can enjoy them up close, as the blooms have unique serrated flowers that bloom in streaks of color. "They come in every color combination you can think of," says Montgomery. "They bloom in mid-to-late spring when most other tulips have passed their peak. They make outstanding cut flowers." Zones: 3 to 8Size: 22 inches tall x 5 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun to part shade; average, well-drained soil Crown Imperial Credit: pejft / GETTY IMAGES With tall sturdy stems that produce a crown of nodding flowers in shades of orange and yellow, crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis) blooms in mid-spring, attracting butterflies and other beneficial pollinators. "Plant in groups, to attract attention even from a distance," says Montgomery. "They even help to keep pesky moles and voles away." Zone: 3 to 8Size: 32 to 40 inches tall x 10 to 12 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; average, well-drained soil Follow us to see more of our stories on Google. Follow Us On Google Grape Hyacinth Credit: Masahiro Nakano/a.collectionRF / GETTY IMAGES Despite its name, grape hyacinth (Muscari) comes in every shade of blue, pink, and white (or a combination of hues) imaginable. "I can’t think of anything that is easier to grow," says Montgomery. "They multiply readily and flower longer than most bulbs." It looks beautiful planted along the front of borders and in containers. Zones: 4 to 9Size: 6 to 8 inches tall x 2 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun to part shade; average, well-drained soil Into the Woods: Step Inside Martha's Japanese Maple Tree Forest at Bedford Explore more: Garden Flower Gardens