Home Gardening Outdoor Gardening 7 Popular Garden Flowers and Shrubs to Plant This Fall—Including Our New Favorite Hydrangea Variety Good news: It's not too late to start that garden. By Katie Holdefehr Katie Holdefehr Instagram Website Katie Holdefehr is the associate editorial director at Real Simple. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 2, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email If you planned all summer long to start that garden but haven't gotten around to actually breaking ground, it's not too late. According to the plant pros at Monrovia, an online plant retailer, the fall is the perfect time to plant not only spring bulbs, but also certain perennials, trees, and shrubs. "Fall is the time of year when root systems really go to work, strengthening the plant and preparing for another season of beauty," the experts at Monrovia explain. By planting now, these flowers and shrubs will already be established before the weather warms up, providing colorful blooms and foliage to your yard earlier in the spring. Plus, planting now that the weather is cooler feels much less daunting than during the heat of summer. Getty Images Here are the seven best fall plants to start growing ASAP. Pick from plants that will provide immediate beauty to your garden this season or those that will reward you with glorious blooms come springtime. Even better: You can't go wrong with a mix of both for a beautiful garden now and later. 15 Impossible-to-Kill Outdoor Plants 01 of 07 Strawberry Shake Hydrangea Monrovia Hydrangeas are some of our favorite flowers, and this late-summer variety is a showstopper. The abundant blooms start out white and turn a soft shade of blush. The branches can be dried to create everlasting arrangements you'll enjoy all winter long. Plant in partial shade to full sun. Zones: 4 to 8 02 of 07 Evolution Emerald Ice Sedum Monrovia Sedum, also called stonecrop, is known for being hardy and drought-resistant. Forming dense, low-growing mounds, this variety will carpet the garden with tiny pink flowers in late summer. Plant it in a spot with partial to full sun. Zones: 4 to 9 03 of 07 Grace N' Grit Roses Monrovia The name says it all: this rose variety will add elegance to the garden, but it was bred to be disease-resistant. Able to withstand the heat of summer, it graces the garden with blooms well into autumn. Prefers full sun. Zones: 4 to 9 04 of 07 FloralBerry Sangria Hypericum Monrovia Set against dark green foliage, yellow flowers and red berries really pop. This variety blooms in summer, with the berries following in autumn. Plant in partial shade to full sun. Zones: 5 to 9 05 of 07 Crimson Kisses Weigela Monrovia The vibrant red blooms of this compact shrub first bloom in spring, then provide waves of flowers all summer long. Plant it this fall in a spot with full sun for a more colorful garden come 2021. Zones: 4 to 9 06 of 07 Harlequin Purple Beardtongue Monrovia If one of your garden goals it to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, opt for this perennial with dazzling purple flowers. This compact, hardy shrub won't flop over in wind and rain, plus it blooms all summer long. Plant in full sun. Zones: 5 to 9 07 of 07 Little Joker Ninebark Monrovia Attention urban gardeners: This small shrub (it grows to be 3 to 4 feet tall) will add low-maintenance beauty to a tiny backyard. In the spring and summer, a profusion of delicate pink flowers appears on the deep burgundy and dark green foliage. It prefers partial shade to full sun. Zones: 4 to 8 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit