Autumn is Perfect Time to Add Color, Plant for Spring
Although spring is widely considered prime planting season, fall is actually an optimal time for homeowners to add color and plot a vision for next year’s landscape.
“Autumn is the perfect time to assess landscaping needs and fill any gaps that exist in your landscape,” said Bailey Nurseries brand manager and horticulturist Natalia Hamill. “And while you’re at it, you can add plants that provide a pop of color – like a throw pillow for your garden.”
Many trees and shrubs can be planted during fall, so gardeners can enjoy spring blooms without waiting a whole year.
Fall Landscaping Tips
- Take inventory: Decide what, and where, your landscape is lacking and plug the gaps now. Depending on plant type and local climate, you’ll be able to enjoy a full, bursting garden as early as next spring.
- Multi-season interest: Consider adding plants that offer color for more than one season. Examples include perennials like Endless Summer® BloomStruck® Hydrangeas with blooms from late spring through fall, First Editions® Tiger Eyes® Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac with chartreuse leaves in summer changing to stunning yellow, orange and scarlet in fall, and First Editions® Standing Ovation® Serviceberry with sweet white flowers in spring followed by blue fruit and red-orange leaves in autumn. (See below for more examples.)
- Attention to temperature: Different plants react in varied ways to temperature swings, so minding your region’s weather patterns is a must. Bailey Nurseries’ plant tags and the U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone map show gardeners how to adjust to their particular climate.
- Look long-term: Achieving the ideal landscape doesn’t happen overnight. Establish a vision for what you want your garden to look like, then understand that many trees and shrubs take several years to reach mature size. The results last much longer and are well worth the wait.
Fall Stars
These plants provide instant color in fall and can keep a landscape looking beautiful for years to come afterward:
- Cayenne Dogwood: These bright red stems shine all winter, even in southern parts of the country. Blue berries form in late summer amid Cayenne Dogwood’s lush green leaves.
- Amber Jubilee™ Ninebark: Amber Jubilee’s orange, yellow and golden hues are a perfect fit for fall. New spring leaves are also full of glowing tones and delicate white blooms.
- Pink Sparkler™ Birchleaf Spirea: Exquisite pink flowers bloom on Pink Sparkler in early summer then re-emerge in fall. Additionally, fall flowers appear down the stem for a full, rich appearance and pop of pink, and the leaves turn burgundy red during autumn.
- BloomStruck® Hydrangeas: After providing great summer flower color, BloomStruck leaves turn a rich, deep red – the ideal touch for a fall landscape. From the First Editions® collection, Vanilla Strawberry™ Hydrangeas and Jetstream™Oakleaf Hydrangeas also provide fantastic autumn color.
- Scarlet Jewell™ Maple Trees: Homeowners can usher in fall early with these crimson leaves, which show up a full two weeks before those of other red maples. In spring, bright red flowers appear. Matador™ Maples, on the other hand, hold their leaves longer and provide an even deeper red color well into autumn.
Play with plantings. Try it out for a season. If you don’t like the look or your plant doesn’t like the spot simply dig them up and shift to another area in the garden. It’s so easy and so rewarding!
