How to Create a Fall Landscape

With the coming of fall, many of the bright summer blooms that make up home landscapes will begin to fade. Different types of shrubbery will also lose their summer green and begin entry into hibernation. Planning ahead can help you achieve a landscape that won’t whither with the onset of the new season. Choosing a variety of plants, ornamental trees and flowing shrubs that come alive in autumn will create a transition of colors that will actually enhance your landscape.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gardening gloves
• Compost
• Peat moss
• Shovel
• Mulch
• Ornamental grasses
• Perennials
• Ornamental trees

1. Begin your preparation by choosing parts of your landscape that will benefit from a burst of fall colors. For instance, if you have an area of your yard that only contains spring or summer blooms, the addition of some autumn blooms will allow a pleasant transition between summer and fall colors. This will also prevent dreary areas in your landscape that can result when the summer annuals die off.

2. Prepare your soil for planting. By planting fall perennials this year, your landscape will make a colorful transition all on its own next year. But first you need to prepare the soil to ensure proper growth. Adding some peat moss and compost material to the soil will help to accomplish this goal. Keep in mind that fertilizing is not necessary for fall planting.

3. Choose some ornamental trees for your fall landscape that will add a permanent seasonal color change. As the green leaves begin to change on the more mature trees on your property, the young saplings will also change, adding a new look to your yard. Japanese maples and Gingko trees are always a good choice.

4. Plant some annuals like dusty miller, ornamental cabbages and kales, and even spirea to create a cool autumn blast of color. These plants require virtually no maintenance, and come back every year to work their magic.

5. Experiment with adding some ornamental grasses to sections of your yard that require more color. These grasses are very low maintenance and offer bright green color during the spring and summer, alternating to a fall palette during the autumn season. Fountain grass, frost grass and red switch grass make good choices.

Tips & Warnings

• Adding different varieties of mulch to your landscape will help to add some fall color and protect your plants throughout the winter.
• Check your geographical zones for different types of fall plants that will help to improve your landscape.
• Be sure not to overwater or fertilize your newly planted fall landscape. Fertilizing during the fall will promote plant growth that will be too young to sustain harsh winters.