October flowers in Switzerland: what's still in bloom?

The birth flower tradition gives October to the marigold, with the cosmos as runner-up. The word marigold covers two quite different plants, though. One is the pot marigold (Calendula officinalis), the other the Mexican marigold (Tagetes erecta). Depending on the list, either can claim the title.

Tagetes, native to the Americas, holds a special place in Mexico. Its orange flowers decorate graves and home altars for the Day of the Dead in early November. The cosmos, also from Mexico, takes its name from the Greek and stands for order and harmony. All three share one quality that explains the choice. They are easy annuals that keep flowering until the first frost, long after most summer beds have given up.

Saffron crocus, the pride of Mund

Saffron comes from the stigmas of a flower, Crocus sativus. Switzerland grows it in just one place. On the slopes of Mund, at around 1,200 metres above Naters, the harvest runs from mid-October to early November. Munder Safran has held a protected designation of origin (AOP) since 2004. Only a few kilos are produced each year and a single kilo takes more than 120,000 flowers. The crop almost vanished after the war, when many villagers left to work in the factories down in the Rhône valley. Since 1977 local people have been working to save it.

Each flower has three red stigmas, the only part that is dried and sold. In the garden, saffron crocus corms go in during high summer, between July and August, in a sunny spot with free-draining soil. Do not confuse the plant with the autumn crocus that flowers in meadows at the same time. The highly toxic autumn crocus has six stamens, the saffron crocus only three.

Chrysanthemums, from balcony to cemetery

October is peak season for chrysanthemums at the florist's, a few weeks before All Saints' Day. In the Catholic cantons many families lay chrysanthemums on the graves of loved ones on 1 November. In German-speaking regions a pot of white chrysanthemums was long the traditional grave decoration.

It would be a shame to keep them for cemeteries. Small-flowered and more graphic varieties are back in favour with florists. In pots they look lovely on a balcony next to heather and cyclamen.

Bud-blooming heather, colour well into winter

Heather (Calluna vulgaris) is native and fully hardy. In autumn it is mostly sold as bud-blooming heather, whose coloured buds last a very long time, often well into winter. To keep them looking their best, skip the fertiliser in autumn and water only when needed. Heather likes acidic, free-draining soil. If you move it into the garden in spring, cut the shoots back in April to just below the old buds. Potted heather also makes a good grave decoration for All Saints' Day.

Cyclamen, best kept away from cats

Cyclamen join heather and pansies as classic autumn plants for balconies and windowsills. Their tubers contain saponins that are toxic to cats and dogs and can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, seizures.

Dahlias and hydrangeas, a final flourish

Dahlias keep flowering until the first frost catches them. Hydrangeas, on the other hand, are now at the perfect stage for drying. Cut the flower heads between late September and early October, when the sap is drawing back and the flowers feel slightly papery. Cut too early, they rot instead of drying. Stand them in a vase with 2 to 3 cm of water and do not top it up. The water evaporates slowly and the flowers dry without losing their shape. For softer petals, some people swap the water for a mix of warm water and glycerine.

October is the main month for planting tulips and daffodils. Plant the larger bulbs first. Smaller ones such as crocuses and grape hyacinths can wait until November or even December, as long as the ground is not frozen.

It is also time to deal with dahlias, whose tubers cannot survive frost. Wait until the first frost has blackened the foliage, give it a few more days, then lift the tubers with a garden fork on a fine morning. Store them in a wooden crate lined with newspaper in a dark, dry cellar at around 5 °C. Above 8 °C they may start sprouting before spring. Check them regularly and throw out any that rot.

Planning a hedge this autumn? Forget cherry laurel. Its sale, gifting and import have been banned in Switzerland since 1 September 2024, although existing hedges can stay. Swiss nursery growers suggest a mixed hedge of native shrubs such as hazel, spindle and privet instead. Yew is native too, though highly toxic.