As I write this, the first week of November, the fall leaf colors have barely made a ripple in my area. The sweetgums show a hint as do the gingkos. My Japanese maple looks like it did in July, and the list goes on. But I have been enjoying the oranges and yellows of autumn via the prettiest flowers ever.

It began with an early September planting. This year I went heavy, so to speak, with Luscious Marmalade lantana. The flowers are flaming orange and large for a lantana. As in a celebration of orange the migrating Monarch butterflies have made visits. We also have had a new generation of Gulf Fritillary and American Lady butterflies for a real Fall Garden Fest.

When I planted the Luscious Marmalade lantanas I added their complementary blue flower partners with Supertunia Tiara Blue, Mini Vista Indigo and Mini Vista Ultramarine petunia

One last blue partner I have to tout is the Superbells Grape Punch calibrachoa. This is the perfect partner for Luscious Marmalade. Add a sprig or two Lemon Coral sedum with its chartreuse foliage and you will have combos that are beautiful with just the right amount of gaudy.

I also made a couple of baskets to copy a recipe from last year’s winter garden. They feature Supertunia Persimmon petunia. Whoever came up with that color of petunia deserves a trophy. The cooler temperature of fall seems to supercharge the colors.

The baskets look like twins as I gave the Supertunia Persimmon partners of other Supertunia petunias. The combinations have Supertunia Honey and Tiara Blue petunias They look like a floral version of Skittles candy.

We have had three nights in the high 30s and by the time you read this I may be flirting with a 33. The nice thing is that I am getting my most intense sun of the year even though high overhead is a canopy of trees, deciduous and evergreen. This canopy helps trap some warmth that gets released from the soil and the rock wall and patio where the containers reside.

I am in zone 8, to be exact 8b, but I am not necessarily a believer in the new zone map yet. I use good lightweight potting soil in my containers and baskets. During the cool season I use water soluble fertilizer and feed every two to three weeks.

This will be my sixth winter at this house. I always go into freezing temperatures making sure I water just before sunset. I try hard to never have the containers go into the freezing period thirsty.

The first five years have shown some remarkable hardiness in all the Supers: Supertunia petunias, Superbena verbenas and Superbells calibrachoas. This includes containers and those planted in beds.

Last year I flinched and moved a lot of containers to the garage for about 7-10 nights. I left other containers outside muttering "I can’t move anymore" and apologizing to those left to die. The ones outside all lived too.

I expect the lantanas to freeze, and I hope to cut back and let their partners cover them up until they sprout in spring. We will see if this works. If we have a 50-year freeze all bets are off.

So right now, in west Georgia, the fall colors are riveting. Not the trees yet but Luscious Marmalade and Basket Tangeglow lantanas, as well as Supertunia Persimmon, Honey, Tiara Blue and Mini Vista Indigo petunias. The Superbena verbenas are coming on strong.

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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)

(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)

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