Gardening
Jos Van Hage
The summer landscape is full of colour and it does not have to end after the first killing frost. If planted right, the shortened summer days and cooler temperatures can bring new colour when shrubs and trees change from green to the multi shades of reds, oranges, and yellow as they put on one final show before the leaves drop.
On some varieties of trees and shrubs, when the leaves fall off, colourful berries are revealed and these can stay on the plant for many weeks or until the birds find them, which is also an added bonus to the fall/winter landscape.
If you are wanting to add fall colour to the landscape it is never too late to plant. This is a perfect time to plant trees and shrubs because of the cooling temperatures and moist conditions plants will not dry out as quickly and they will get a good head start for next spring. If they are hardy for the area, there should be no problem in having them survive the winter if planted correctly and they are well-watered before winter sets in.
A group of trees that stand out for their fall colour are the maples. Varieties such as silvercloud which in summer has a green leaf with a silver underneath, and Manitoba maple with its compounded leaves turn yellow in the fall. The sugar maple's dark green lobe (leaf has deeply-indented margins) foliage turns into yellow, orange and reds, while, sienna glen's smaller deeply-lobed leaves become red to burgundy.
The smaller, or multi stemmed amur maple tree has glossy green lobed summer foliage that in fall turns a scarlet red, as does autumn blaze and autumn spire. Sensation and northwood have colourful bright orange/red fall colour.
Maples are not the only trees known for their fall colour. Other trees such as the mountain ash have beautiful fall colour and many varieties also have the clusters of colourful fruit that hang on over the winter months. Some of my favourite trees are the linden, which has nice yellow fall colour and then there is the burr oak's large, dark green lobed leaves that change to amber in the fall while the red oak and northern pin oak turn red.
If you don't have room for a tree but would rather plant shrubs, there are some excellent choices to choose from. The first one that comes to mind is the winged burning bush named because of its brilliant red fall colour. Rhus sumac is another one known for its fall colours of red, yellow and orange. Also available are a list of viburnums that have nice colourful fall foliage, and the added bonus of berries. Varieties such as blue muffin arrowwood, has shiny, green, crinkled foliage that turns yellow and has very blue fruit.
Mohican wayfaring tree's foliage turns purple bronze in fall and has orange-red to black berries. nannyberry's shiny, green foliage turns purple/red and the shrub produces blue black berries. Also available are the cranberry varieties such as the compact European cranberry, which produces red berries and has a nice, red fall colour, dwarf European cranberry's foliage turns purple and Bailey compact cranberry turns a deep red, along with the American highbush. Snowball vburnum is not only popular for its white flowers but also has burgundy red, fall foliage. Two other bushes that stand out in the fall/winter are snowberry, which has small white berries, or the pink snowberry" which as bright purple/pink berries that cling on the deciduous branches well into the winter, looking like little jewels.
There is still time to add some fall colour to the landscape and give the yard some year-round interest.
