Fall is a season of glorious change. We often think of majestic trees bursting into colorful reds, yellows, and oranges throughout the landscape. But don’t forget that many shrubs offer surprise color this time of year as well! Here are three of my favorites:

1) One of the most popular plants for sale at Hoerr Nursery is commonly known as the Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus ‘Compacta’). Its medium green leaves and upright vase shape are attractive. This large shrub may grow to 10’ tall and wide but is often kept smaller by pruning early in the spring. The Burning Bush also tolerates our summer heat and humidity, and most deer leave them alone.

We are leading up to the exciting time for Burning Bush. Those growing in full sun (at least six hours per day) will soon become brilliant flaming red! What a delightful gift from nature.

2) The Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) grows 2-3’ tall and wide up to 10’ tall and wide depending upon which variety you choose. It prefers part sun to part shade with the sun in the morning. This is a true four season shrub. Lobed oakleaf shaped leaves appear in spring. Up to one foot long cones of white single or double flowers cover the plant in summer. The blooms mature to pink and then brown. They may be left on or cut off for use in indoor or outdoor dried arrangements.

Oakleaf Hydrangea foliage turns a beautiful wine, purple, maroon to bronze in the fall. The cinnamon-colored, exfoliating bark adds winter interest to this fine shrub.

3) Little Henry Sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Little Henry’) is a lovely small shrub that grows in sun or shade. It gets to be 2-3’ tall and 2-3’ wide which makes it a versatile plant for a perennial border, a low hedge, or an accent in the landscape. The fragrant white tassel-like flowers appear in early summer. They attract butterflies and hummingbirds – how could you go wrong with that! ;-)

The dark green foliage becomes hot orange red to burgundy red in autumn. A true multi-season shrub!

Fall is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to update your summer planting containers! By reusing some of your existing plants and adding some new fall colors, you will have a fresh new container to last through autumn.

To start, cut back any existing plants that have become overgrown. This will prevent them from upstaging your new plantings. Next, use a knife to cut out any annuals that look unhealthy or weak. Prune other plants as needed to create a planting hole large enough for your new annuals.

Now it’s time to select your new plants! Look for annuals and perennials with great color, like flowering cabbage and kale, ornamental grass, mums, aster, and rudbeckia. Kale can endure light frosts and adds fullness as it continues to grow. Plant ornamental grasses towards the center or back of your container to provide movement and height.

Chrysanthemums (or “mums”) are iconic fall bloomers. They come in a wide variety of colors and will produce flowers for weeks. Purple Aster comes in several different heights, and can also be planted in the garden as a perennial. Rudbeckia, perhaps better known as Black-eyed Susan, has vibrant yellow flowers that create a great color impact.

Finally, add some pumpkins, gourds, or decorative corn to incorporate fall décor into your container. You can even add interest with artificial silks like colorful fall leaves or bittersweet stems. With a little imagination and some fresh foliage, you can breathe new life into your containers and embrace the colorful bounty of fall!
 

Nobody can predict the weather with 100% certainty but given the unusual weather we have had this summer, we might just have an early fall. Our horticulturalists have been guessing when we might see the first frost of the year, and someone predicted it to be October 4th. She says it's based on the sounds of crickets and when we will have a full moon. We'll see...

What does that mean for the average gardener? Well, fall color is based two things: length of day and temperature. We could see the trees turn color earlier than usual, and even see some green leaves drop if we have a hard early frost. Here are some things to keep in mind as the cooler temperatures move in.

• Update your garden containers with fall plants – mums, grasses, pumpkins, etc. Mums are in full bloom and will last six weeks as will ornamental grasses and flowering kale.

• There are still some insects hanging around, but the annual fall grub population is sparse and will not cause much harm to lawns. You can still treat grub problems with Bonide Grub Beater Granules, available at Hoerr Nursery.

• Aerating your lawn is one of the best things you can do for it! Aerate in the fall to loosen soil, promote root development, and control thatch. If you’re interested in aeration, we can help! Contact Todd in Lawn Maintenance: (309) 691-4561

• The weather is perfect for starting some fall yard work. Remember to get those weeds out before they seed, and cut back fading foliage from peony, iris, daylilies, etc.

• PLANT!!! There’s no need to stop planting when summer ends! You can safely plant trees, shrubs, and perennials until the ground is frozen. Stop out today - we're here to help!

Enjoy these early days of fall!

Ella Maxwell