By Augie Alvarez, CEO, Perennial Gardens Bedford
The most useful thing in a Westchester garden right now is not what bloomed in June. It is what is blooming in September and October, when monarchs and other pollinators are moving south and most gardens have already gone quiet. We keep a large selection of native, pesticide-free perennials and shrubs on the property for exactly this stretch of the year.
What is still in flower
Rudbeckia laciniata 'Herbstsonne', sold as Autumn Sun, is the one we point people to first. It is tall, it blooms for a long stretch, and it holds its color well past the point where most coneflowers have finished.
Helianthus angustifolius, the narrowleaf sunflower, is one of the last things to open on the whole property. It comes into flower in October, after nearly everything else has stopped, which makes it disproportionately useful to anything still feeding.
Asters and Solidago — goldenrod — are the two that matter most for late pollinators in this region. They are worth planting together and worth planting in quantity.
Echinacea earns its place twice: nectar while it flowers, then seedheads that goldfinches work through into the winter if you leave them standing.
Sedum sits in the same beds for the same reason — reliable late nectar. Worth knowing, if you are planting strictly native: the familiar border sedums are garden selections rather than North American natives. They are still excellent for pollinators; they just are not natives.
Why late bloom matters more than early bloom
A garden that peaks in June and finishes in August looks generous and is not. Spring nectar is abundant everywhere. Late nectar is scarce, and it coincides with monarch migration through the Northeast and with native bees provisioning their last brood of the season. Asters and goldenrod carry that load in our region. Planting for September and October is the single change that does the most for the insects moving through your property.
It is also worth saying plainly: none of our perennials and shrubs are treated with pesticides. Planting for pollinators and then handing them treated plants defeats the point.
Native shrubs for structure and for birds
Native dogwood gives you spring flower, good autumn color, and fruit that birds strip quickly.
American holly is the evergreen backbone, and it comes with a detail worth knowing before you buy: it is dioecious. Individual plants are male or female, only females fruit, and they need a male nearby to do it. Most disappointed holly owners have simply bought one plant.
Amelanchier, serviceberry, is among the first things to flower in spring and among the first to be eaten in June. It is a four-season plant in a small footprint, which makes it useful where a full-sized tree will not fit.
Viburnum covers a lot of ground as a genus. Which one is right depends on whether you want the flower, the fruit, the autumn color or the screening, and that is a conversation worth having in person in front of the plants.
Why to plant these now
Fall is the better planting season in this climate, not the consolation prize. The soil holds summer warmth well after the air has cooled, so roots keep growing while the top of the plant has stopped asking for anything. A shrub planted in September establishes with a fraction of the watering the same shrub would need in June, and it comes into spring already settled.
Common questions
When is the best time to plant native perennials and shrubs in Westchester?
Fall. The soil is still warm enough for roots to establish while the air has cooled, so a plant put in now spends its energy below ground instead of holding up leaves and flowers. It also needs far less watering from you than the same plant set out in June.
Does goldenrod cause hay fever?
No. Goldenrod pollen is heavy and sticky, carried by insects rather than wind. Ragweed blooms at the same time, releases wind-borne pollen, and is the actual cause of late-summer hay fever. Goldenrod simply happens to be the plant people notice.
What should I plant to help monarchs and other migrating pollinators?
Late nectar matters more than midsummer nectar. Asters and goldenrod are the two most important late-season nectar sources in the Northeast, and they bloom exactly when monarchs are moving south through Westchester. A garden that peaks in June and finishes in August offers nothing at the moment it is needed most.
Do I need more than one American holly to get berries?
Yes. American holly is dioecious, meaning individual plants are male or female. Only female plants carry berries, and they need a male within pollinating distance to set them. If a holly has never fruited, this is almost always the reason.
Come and look at them
Plants like these are difficult to choose from a list — form and scale matter more than a name, and what is in flower changes week to week. The garden center is on Route 22 in Bedford. Come and walk the beds with us, or call (914) 234-6311 and we will tell you what is looking good this week.
