Each autumn, New England asters and pink mums fill Nancy's yard just outside Little Rock, Arkansas. The pink and blue combination provides a striking contrast with the yellow and red foliage on the trees surrounding her home. This memorable scene doesn't appear by chance. The plants have multiplied over the years, their roots tiptoeing across the soil to form well-established clumps.

About a decade ago, a friend gave Nancy a small piece of the New England aster. That little plant flourished, and she was soon dividing and setting it in other locations. While the asters are rather inconspicuous most of the year, the 2 ½- to 3-foot-tall plants come into their own around mid-September. Their delicate blue petals encircle small yellow centers. Although the centers soon fade to brown, the petals retain color for almost an entire month, blooming so profusely they resemble billowy clouds.

Like many gardeners, Nancy believes that you can't have a true fall garden unless you have mums. Still, she didn't want the clipped basketball-shaped plants found at most nurseries. She felt they were too rigid. So eight years ago, she planted a Korean hybrid mum named 'Ryan's Pink' (Chrysanthemum x morifolium). When the plant gets full sun and a good thinning every few years, it produces thousands of fall blooms that look more like blushing pink daisies.

Leggy plants, they tend to sprawl when in bloom, and their 18- to 24-inch stems have a hard time holding up the bulky flower heads. But Nancy doesn't mind; she likes their loose form, which she feels best fits her garden. (For something smaller, look for 'Hillside Sheffield' and 'Apricot Single,' two Korean hybrids about 12 inches tall.)

While the asters and mums anchor the display, Nancy fills in with a variety of plants. She likes Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), which has velvety purple-and-white blooms and grayish green foliage. Forming a large, rounded mound, it reaches 3 to 4 feet tall. In the Upper and Middle South, it's grown as an annual, and Nancy dries the blooms, which retain their color.

The garden also features 'Autumn Joy' sedum. Its fall blooms start out dark pink, then turn bronzy red. The numerous florets and thick, rubbery leaves make the plant stand out even when not in bloom. This isn't the most stunning plant, but it may be the most dependable. About the only thing that can kill it is too much water or shade.

Finally, 'Plumosa' celosia grows throughout the garden. Planted several years ago, this plant keeps on reseeding, coming up here and there, and Nancy just lets it go. The spiked red flowers provide a pop of color, and the showy leaves look like they've been painted red along the edges.

Now that summer's heat has burned out, it's time to return to the garden. Nancy's yard is living--and lovely--proof of how beautiful autumn flowers can be.

"Fall's Finest Flowers" is from the October 2001 issue of Southern Living.