Build a theme in your landscape by repeating a particular plant shape. Here, an upright columnar white pine and blue spruce both echo the tall, narrow arborvitae in the background.
Test Garden Tip: To add interest, consider evergreens in various colors. Combining the blue-green pine, silvery-blue spruce, and dark green arborvitae creates another layer of attractiveness.
Fall Power Perennials
Get a garden that shines through the first frosts with these won’t-quit fall favorites.
Add Great Groundcovers
Reduce weeds and create a carpet of color with ground-hugging plants that put on a fall show. For example, this cranberry cotoneaster offers dazzling red fruits with attractive purple-red fall color. Giving yourself a ceiling of fall leaves above and a blanket of color below will make your garden more interesting.
Include Structure
A great garden includes more than just plants. Incorporate a structure, such as an arbor or pergola, a fence, or a stone retaining wall. Choose a material that complements your garden style and fits within your budget.
Test Garden Tip: Stone is a common choice because it’s maintenance-free and fits well with a wide variety of landscaping styles. Select stone native to your area for a more natural look. Or add extra appeal by including various types of stones.
Grow Multiseason Plants
Pack more bang into your yard by growing plants that look great in various seasons. Pagoda dogwood, shown here, offers white flowers in spring, clusters of blue berries (loved by birds) in summer, wonderful fall color, and a unique branching habit.
Test Garden Tip: Great shrubs for a multiseason show include ninebark, viburnum, fothergilla, and reblooming hydrangeas.
Get More From Your Mums
Learn how to make your mums the center of your fall garden.
Appeal To Several Senses
Use a water feature in your landscape to help filter out street noise and make your yard feel more secluded. Take advantage of the water’s reflective quality by planting Japanese maples or other trees and shrubs with a good fall display nearby for double the color impact.
Pick A Cool Plant
When planning your garden, be sure to include at least one unusual plant such as this blue sausage fruit (Decaisnea fargesii), which offers unique and edible fruits. A large shrub or small tree, it’s great for adding privacy and making visitors ask “what’s that?”
Layer Plants
Use nature as your guide when planting. For example, rather than creating a bed where everything grows 2 feet tall, choose a number of varieties that grow to different heights. This allows you to get more in a small spot and a design that feels natural.
Consider Context
A weeping hemlock, shown in the front left corner of this border, might get lost among other evergreens. Accenting it with red Japanese maples, however, allows it to shine while adding texture to the landscape.
Now we’re jumping 2,700 miles away to a garden in the Pacific Northwest. This landscape also features a series of intimate spaces, though it’s set on a steep hillside and features a very different set of plants. Read on for more fall landscaping secrets!
Create Texture
Ornamental grasses are a popular choice for adding fall and winter interest. Enhance their graceful texture by growing other plants with a delicate look, such as silvery sea holly flowers and golden blue star foliage.
