6 Surefire Flowers to Plant in October for Stronger Growth and a Garden Brimming With Blooms Next Summer

October brings an unmissable opportunity to stock up your garden with flowering plants in time for them to grow strong root systems to support abundant blooms next year. While you’ll have to wait a few months for your reward, plants will be far more robust and resilient than if planted in spring, so you can be sure they'll thrive as well as simply survive. Not all plants appreciate a fall planting, however, so here we bring you the very best flowers to plant in fall to fill your yard with plentiful petals for years to come.

Garden centres rely on instant gratification for peak sales in spring and summer. But add a blooming or about-to-bloom plant to your backyard then and it will have to deal with the double stress of producing flowers as well as settling roots into its new home. The more stressed a plant gets, the more it prioritizes blooms over roots; the fewer roots it grows, the less it can fuel this flower growth. So, once the additional stress of summer heat hits, this loop can quickly prove fatal. And we’ve all dug up a dead plant with its root system still in the shape of the pot it was bought in.

Choose flowers to plant in fall, however, and you give them a far better start to life in your yard. The soil is warm and moist enough to allow roots to reach into the ground, where they’ll be able to source nutrients and water. Waking early in spring, plants will get busy growing those roots some more so, when it’s time to flower, they'll have strong systems to support and fuel the blooming process. And while you’ll still need to keep your plant watered, it will cope with the stress of heat and drought far better.

Not only are you protecting your investment – and goodness knows, plants aren’t cheap! – but you’ll often find many popular perennial plants are far cheaper to buy in fall. Here's what to plant in October, for a garden brimming with blooms next year.

1. Peonies

October is the ideal time to plant peonies because the plant will focus on growing roots rather than stems, setting up a robust system for a strong start next spring. Fall is also peak time for harvesting peony bare roots, which is a much cheaper way to buy these beautiful plants. Simply plant the bare root with the eyes (buds) uppermost, no more than 2 inches below the soil surface and water in.

Typically hardy in zones 3-8, peonies are incredibly long-lived plants so are a great garden investment. Dutch Grown has a vast selection of peony varieties to choose from, including many new Itoh peony cultivars (that combine the best features of bush and tree peonies for a longer blooming period) such as Itoh Peony ‘Lollipop’. Or start a full-on love affair with peonies and get great value for money with a value pack of varieties such as this Peony Sweet Caroline Collection, also from Dutch Grown.

2. Azalea

Another favorite on our list of flowers to plant in October is azalea, one of the finest shrubs for a front yard. Fall brings the best conditions for this shrub to make itself at home in your garden, ready for a showstopper display next year. Shorter days trigger the plant to grow roots rather than pushing out new stems, and more evenly moist conditions make it easier for them to get a good hold.

Azaleas have remarkably shallow root systems, making them vulnerable to heat and drought stress, making a fall planting a particularly smart move. Make sure you add a 2-inch layer of mulch over the soil once planted to protect the soil from temperature extremes though, and prevent winter’s freeze-thaw action heaving these shallow roots from the ground. A pine bark mulch such as Timberline All Natural Pine Mulch, available from Lowe’s, gives azaleas the acidic conditions they adore.

For a showstopper azalea, you won’t do better than Autumn Royalty Encore Azalea, available from trees.com (formerly Fast Growing Trees). Despite its name, it's been bred to bloom from spring, all through summer into fall in zones 6-10, rewarding your investment richly with beautifully vibrant flowers month after month.

3. Wisteria

Wisteria needs consistent moisture when first planted to reduce transplant shock, so planting in fall means you’re not spending hours battling quick-drying soil. The plant also directs all its growing efforts underground in fall, so it’ll set up a strong root system far more quickly than if you planted in spring.

These beautiful vines are well-known for taking their time to bloom, too, so buying in fall when they’re usually heavily discounted means you can afford a more mature plant that flowers fast. One of the best perennial plants to plant in fall, once you have added a wisteria to your yard, you can expect it to bloom for decades to come.

Amethyst Falls Wisteria Vine, currently on sale at Nature Hills, is a native American that brings heaps of blooms without the invasive tendencies of asian varieties in zones 5-9. Blue Moon Wisteria, also available from Nature Hills, is another excellent choice as it reblooms up to three times a year for lots more flowers and is particularly hardy, thriving in zones 3-9.

4. Alliums

Alliums are a great asset to any border, and one of the best set-and-forget bulbs to buy in fall. October is the very best time of year to get allium bulbs into the ground and there are varieties that will bring blooms from May all through summer, from the tiny drumsticks of Allium Sphaerocephalon to the spectacularly big spheres of Allium Globemaster, in zones 3-9.

Dutch Grown stocks a super selection at sensible prices. And if you thought all alliums were violet, think again! Dutch Grown’s Allium Tropical Tides Collection features warm-hued pinks and reds, while the Allium Ice and Sky Collection has elegantly cool blue and white hues.

Alliums are such a cheap and easy way to add year-after-year color to your garden, and these are plants that practically grow themselves. Just bury the bulbs, pointed side up, at a depth that’s equal to 2-4 times the height of the bulbs and wait for blooms the following year. If the ground is already damp from fall rain, you don’t even need to bother watering them in.

5. Yarrow

Achillea is an exceptionally resilient plant that deserves a spot in every garden, and quickly establishes itself in the still-warm soil following a fall planting in zones 4-9. As long as the ground isn’t fully frozen, root growth will continue through winter so once warm weather returns, you can expect a burst of fern-like foliage and flat-topped flower clusters, packed with nectar to feed hungry pollinators – far more than if you’d added the plant in spring.

Yarrow likes fast-draining soil so while you should give it a water after planting to settle the soil around its roots, and irrigate if it doesn't rain, natural moisture will typically see this tough-cookie plant through the winter.

Take a look at the New Vintage series if you want long-lasting, fuss-free color in lean soil like that tricky strip of ground alongside your driveway or curb. New Vintage Red Yarrow, available from trees.com boasts ruby-red flowers from early summer through fall, while New Vintage Terracotta Yarrow, also available from trees.com has color-shifting blooms that morph from a vibrant terracotta to champagne-yellow.

Russian Sage

This incredibly drought-tolerant beauty is seeing a huge surge in popularity, thanks to it being one of those showy accent plants that landscape designers love but anyone can grow. Fall is an excellent month to add Perovskia to your garden as without the pressure to produce its beautiful blue flower spikes, the plant will put all its energy into growing a good root system. There is one exception, however: the flip side of this plant's high drought tolerance is that it hates to have its roots sitting in soggy soil – so if you have heavy clay ground that sits wet over the winter, it’s better to wait until spring.

There are all sorts of varieties to choose from but Denim ‘n Lace Russian Sage, available from Plant Addicts is a favorite with landscapers as it brings an exquisite pairing of lavender blooms and lacy, silvery leaves to zones 4-9. If you’re pushed for space, Baby Jean Baby Russian Sage, also available from Plant Addicts, is a compact, neat-growing variety that still delivers abundant blooms in zones 4-8.

Leaving Russian sage stems in place over winter and giving your new plant a gravel mulch to keep the crown dry will help it settle in. Pea gravel like this Landscape Rock from The Home Depot is perfect and the small pebbles will naturally work their way down into the soil to give this plant the fast-draining soil it loves.

Plant all these popular perennials in fall and you’ll have strong, healthy plants for plenty of lush growth and vibrant flowers next year. And we do mean plant them all, because they all deserve a place in every garden! Adding these flowering plants in fall means you’ll cut the time you need to spend watering them next summer (though you will still need to water them some!) and save money to boot. So, if you want a yard with a backbone of plants that reliably bring color, year in, year out, take advantage of this October planting window and steal a head start on summer.