Plant Now for Fall Color Next Year!

Autumn is the perfect time to see if your yard needs a little extra fall and winter landscape appeal - that certain "something" that makes your yard stand out during these seasons. By adding both color and texture to your yard with plants, trees and even hardscape elements, you can turn your yard into a major attraction for every season.

The first step to adding beauty during the winter and fall months is to use what you already have. What are your favorite aspects of your yard in October? Perhaps you have a sugar maple that provides a blaze of color. Look again in January. Maybe your foundation planting of evergreen boxwoods adds interest to the front of your home year round.

When you are choosing landscape additions in the off-season, think in terms of shape, texture and color. Take photos of your yard for future reference. Consider improvements that will add interest both next year and five from now. These ideas can jump start your thinking:

• Trees are a valuable mainstay of any landscape design. When adding new trees, consider those with interesting bark or different shaped leaves. Also think about what color they will be in the fall. Deciduous trees - the kind that loose their leaves - are a natural first choice when it comes to fall color. From the brilliant gold of a sugar maple to stunning red oaks, purplish pears and yellow ash and ginkgo (with unique fan-shaped leaves), you can add a blast of color with your selection. Trees such as the shag bark hickory, birch and even river birch (grayish as opposed to white bark) have visual appeal year round because of their bark.
• Evergreen trees and bushes add year-round color and texture and come in many varieties and sizes. They are particularly welcoming in the winter when the yard can look quite barren. Visit your garden center or check out the Arbor Day website to learn more about trees.
• Colorful shrubs look great in winter. The popular burning bush gives your yard an intense fusion of red in fall. Dogwood bushes have red or yellow branches that persist throughout winter. Holly bush branches are laden with bright red berries in fall and winter that are ideal for holiday decoration. Viburnum offers something for every season, from flowers in summer, to deeply colorful leaves in fall and bright berries that persist into winter.
• Ornamental grasses are another popular choice as an accent plant. There are many varieties, most reaching at least three feet tall and some that will grow to more than double that height. They vary in color and foliage, blooming in summer, with most retaining their shape in winter.
• When adding new hardscape projects, such as a new walkway leading up to your front door, always consider color. Both natural stone and brick as well as stamped concrete offer many possibilities beyond the basic gray. Consider softening the walkway with a curve and leave about 16 inches of space on either side to accommodate perennial plants that can add color into fall or add evergreens such as holly or boxwoods.
• Seasonal decorations are an inexpensive and fun way to add interest and color. For autumn, create or purchase a wreath made from leaves and other natural items. Arrange pumpkins with some corn stalks on either side of your entryway or place seasonal mums in pots. It's easy to change out these decorations in December with pine boughs, holly stems and other seasonally colored items.

Autumn and winter are great "idea times". You can add trees and plants to your yard now and dream about what you will have next year.