Little Garden, Big Style

Fall Performers

Thanks to professional hybridizers, the range of plants that look great well after the first frost continues to grow. The new Icicle-brand pansies and violas have a growing reputation as particularly cold-tolerant hybrids. These perky performers bloom until covered by snow. Hardy ornamental kale, with its ruffled leaves, and smooth-leafed ornamental cabbage have long been dependable for late-season color. The vivid hues of 'Pink Pigeon' cabbage, 'Feather Red' kale, and other cultivars intensify as the thermometer drops, for a display that dazzles right up to December. Asters, ivy hybrids, and such grasses as leather leaf sedge all go the distance. Small stature, extended bloom time, and a broad color range make mums in the Cheryl series good bets for boxes.