Plants that shine in the fall garden

By C.L. Fornari

Published September 21, 2026 at 12:30 PM EDT

After starting off with a postcard from Asters, C.L. welcomed Steve Conaway, director of Horticulture at the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill. They talked about plants that are spectacular in the fall, and enjoying the change of seasons at the NEBG. Callers asked about plants for a privacy screen, an overgrown staghorn fern, transplanted hydrangeas and black knot on fruit trees.

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C.L. Fornari

C.L. Fornari is the author of eight books, including Coffee for Roses and The Cocktail Hour Garden. She’s a professional speaker, the former host of GardenLine on WXTK, and co-host of the Plantrama podcast. She is a frequent speaker to groups nationwide, and has worked for a family-owned independent garden center for 25 years. C.L. grows vegetables, flowers, shrubs, trees and numerous other plants at Poison Ivy Acres on Cape Cod. In 2015 C.L. launched the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, a ten-day regional celebration of gardens that typically raises over $100,000.00 for local non-profits every year and draws public attention to Hydrangeas and gardening.

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