Are you looking around at all of the gorgeous foliage and wishing you had fall color in your landscape? Well, it’s too late to get much more than some mums in a decorative pot for this season, but there are things you can be doing right now to prepare for next year. An old adage in landscaping is “the earlier you plant, the quicker you reap the benefits”. In this case, planting right now will not give you any wow-factor this year, but will give your landscape time to establish itself and get a jumpstart for next year. You will end up with more robust plants than if you planted in the spring since the roots will have more time to develop.
Beyond plant-life, another way you can add beauty to your landscape in the fall, as well as all year long, is to install structures like arbors, ponds, walls, lawn art, decorative fences and screens. These permanent elements can instantly add color and visual interest to your yard and are easy projects to complete in the late fall and winter.
Another thing to consider, if your yard permits it, is that fall is a great time to add groundcovers. They will establish over the winter and spread quickly in the spring, giving you great coverage for the summer and gorgeous color in the fall. If groundcover is not your thing, you can get a similar effect through low hugging shrubs like Contoneaster, which have fine-textured green foliage and red berries.
Below we offer some of our favorite plants for adding fall color in your landscape:
Fall-Blooming Perennials
Aster – A staple of the Indiana fall season, Asters are a bit boring leading up to the cooler months, but are worth the wait.
Sedum – These beauties add great height and texture to your landscape during the summer and rich color in the fall.
Japanese Anemone – We love this plant for its great August/September blooms in whites and pinks.
Fall-Blooming Shrubs
Oakleaf hydrangea – This variety of hydrangea does well here in IN, offering large white flowers during summer and various shades of foliage in fall. They get to 4-6 ft in height and width. If you plant one now, you will gain two benefits – enjoyment of the gorgeous visual interest its peeling bark adds in winter and its bloom next year.
Dwarf Fothergilla – Plant these species in a protected area, preferably in full sun, to avoid it getting too frosty over the winter. They have wonderful fall foliage, with leaves that turn multi-colored based on how they lay upon each other. While they are happy to be trimmed back to 3 ft tall, they can get really big if you want. Dwarf Fothergilla offers spring flowers as well, and nice texture and color during the summer.
Beautyberry – Beautyberry have an open growth habit that gives them a natural fountain-shape. Pair that with the bright purple berries they get in the fall and you a totally different look to your landscape. They are easy to maintain but you will want to trim them to keep them at a decent size. They can get to 5-6ft if you want, but they are easy to trim back if you don’t. Plant these beauties in full sun.
As always, read the label of the plants you find in your local nursery. Each variety behaves a bit differently, so you will want to make sure you are getting what you expect. If you need some advice on how to add fall color in your landscape, send us an email, or give us a call at (317) 997-4803.
