Fall Foliage Gardening

I am not going to pretend to be a great gardener.  As a matter of fact, my style is plant it and pray, but years of gardening have taught me a trick or two.

For example, if you want fabulous fall colour go shopping for foliage plants NOW!  If the plants look stunning at the garden centre on a wet afternoon they are going to look even better in your garden on a crisp autumn morning!

There are a few basic bomb proof plants that always deliver luminous leaves.   Acers or Japanese Maples are my favourite but they can be painfully pricey! The Smoke Bush (Cotinus Coggygria) is a good second choice and will be a fraction of the price of an Acer.  I have two in my small garden, a purple variety and a Green Fountain.

When it comes to red you can't go wrong with the Winged Euonymus or Burning Bush.  

I've chosen alatus compactus, sounds like a spell from a Harry Potter movie. Red Cascade has lovely little berries.  They remind me of the wild bittersweet that used to line the country fence rows in Missouri.

The leaves are a knock-out red...not that this little plant has many leaves left.

Time is running out and the leaves are falling fast....

Better get to that garden centre before it's too late!