My Neighbor’s Garden Looks Even Better Now Than It Did All Summer – And It’s All Thanks To One Flower

I hate to admit it, but I’m getting a little jealous of my neighbors’ gardens... and it’s all down to one flower that looks like it’s been having an absolute blast as we veer headfirst into the ‘ber months.

All summer long, I’ve watched them fill up with the usual stars of the season – roses, hydrangeas, lavender, dahlias, and all those other perennial flowers that make a garden look incredible when everything is growing at full speed. My own garden has done its best to keep up, but... well, then fall arrived, and something rather unexpected happened.

Some of those gardens actually started looking better, and as far as I can tell, it’s all down to one flower (a late-season hero, no less) that everyone but me seems to have planted in abundance.

Why This One Flower Is Key to a Beautiful Fall Garden

Yes, it seems as if Japanese anemones are the 'it' flower of the season, as I’ve started noticing them everywhere in my neighborhood. One garden has them spilling over a low wall, another has a whole mass of them towards the back of the border, and another seems to have an almost ridiculous number of flowers swaying above everything else.

Honestly, every time I walk past, I have pretty much the same thought: I really need some of those, whether it's a traditional Honorine Jobert Japanese Anemone, a bright and bold Fantasy™ Red Riding Hood Japanese Anemone, or a sweet and cold-hardy Fall in Love® Sweetly Japanese Anemone.

Part of the appeal of this one flower, I think, is the timing of it all; by the time Japanese anemones are putting on their best display, a lot of the flowers that made the garden feel so abundant in June and July are starting to fade. These, however, seem completely unfazed by the fact that summer is disappearing.

Depending on the variety and growing conditions, they can flower from late summer well into fall, with many continuing into October (depending on your USDA planting zone). So just when the garden might otherwise start looking a little tired, you suddenly have these tall stems covered in fresh flowers.

And when you see them growing in a group, they can make a surprisingly big impact, especially as they can begin flowering in late summer and continue through fall, depending on the cultivar and conditions.

If you want to add one flower to your garden that will do its bit for pollinators, the Japanese anemone is a good shout; their open blooms can provide food for bees and other visiting insects, and their late flowering period is particularly useful because there are generally fewer flowers available in the garden as the season progresses.

Honestly, if I’m going to give something valuable garden space, I like the idea that it can earn its keep in more than one way. And a plant that gives me a beautiful display in September and October while also offering something to visiting bees, butterflies, and other critters? That ticks a lot of boxes for me!

Still, it's worth thinking about whether your garden is suited to this flower before you rush to buy one of your own; Japanese anemones generally prefer a sunny or partially shaded position and reasonably fertile soil that doesn’t dry out completely. They can also (fair warning) spread, particularly when they’re happy, and established plants can eventually stage something of a takeover.

Now, that can be a very good thing if you have the space and want that abundant effect (part of the reason I keep noticing them in my neighbors’ gardens is that they don’t look like one lonely plant that has been carefully tucked into a gap), but it’s worth thinking about before planting one right next to a delicate little perennial that you’re particularly fond of.

For a long time, I thought of the gardening year as having a fairly obvious hierarchy; spring was exciting because everything was waking up. Summer was the main event, when the garden was overflowing with flowers and everything seemed to be growing at once. Then fall arrived and the whole thing gradually started winding down.

Now, when I walk past my neighbors’ gardens in September or October and see that everyone has one flower covered in blooms, I see a garden having one last really good moment before winter arrives... and yes, I’m jealous. So you'd best believe that I’m going to stop admiring everyone else’s Japanese anemones and finally plant some of my own. I bet I spend all of next fall wondering why I waited so long.