Ornamental Cabbage & Kale
Brighten Your Fall Garden with Ornamental Cabbage and Kale
Fall is a magical time for gardens. The summer heat fades, leaves turn vibrant colors and the garden starts to take on a whole new personality.
While pumpkins and mums are the classic go-to plants for fall, they don’t always cover all your garden needs. Most mums can’t handle a frost, and pumpkins can’t replace all those summer bloomers. That’s where ornamental cabbage and kale come in; they’re decorative, hardy and perfect for adding color and texture when the weather cools.
What Are Ornamental Cabbage and Kale?
These are special varieties of the vegetables you know, bred for their beauty rather than eating. They thrive in cooler temperatures, offering interest when many other plants start to fade. Their colors range from greens, pinks, whites, to purples and their leaves vary from broad and flat to curly rosettes. They pair beautifully with fall mums, and purple varieties look especially striking alongside asters.
How to Plant and Care for Them
Ornamental cabbage and kale can be planted as soon as the weather starts to cool. Most varieties tolerate below-freezing temperatures and can develop even bolder colors after a frost. They grow best in full sun with moderately moist soil, making them perfect for garden beds or containers.
These plants are so hardy that they can last well into winter, continuing to beautify your garden when other plants have faded. They’re also practical: planting them can help reduce soil erosion in areas where summer annuals have died back.
Pests and Animals
The biggest challenge? Your garden animals might see them as a snack! Regular applications of an animal repellent can help protect them. Insects are rarely a problem, since the colder fall temperatures keep most pests away.
With so many varieties, ornamental cabbage and kale work in nearly any garden style. They offer lasting color, texture and interest from fall through winter, making them a perfect companion to pumpkins, mums and fall bulbs.