Take Home Your Favorite Fall Color
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October is a great time to choose a tree you'll love.
As the autumn leaves put on their color show, you might drive past a tree that's really showing off and think, "I want that in my yard."
It might feel weird to stop and take a photo of somebody else's tree, but if you show us the tree you've been admiring, either from a photo online or one that you've taken yourself, we can help you find something similar that will work in your yard.
Just bear in mind, if you're using AI for inspiration or browsing Google Images, that while online photos can be helpful, they aren't always 100% accurate, especially with the advent of AI. If you want a better idea of how that tree might really look like in your yard, it's worth it to visit in person, and see the tree for yourself.
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Birches, we can help with. Birches in your driveway? Not so much.
A good month to plant
Deciduous trees (the ones that drop their leaves each year) go dormant in fall, but their roots don't stop growing. They'll keep settling in as long as the soil isn't frozen, giving them a head start when spring arrives. While you should always water your tree regularly during its first year in the ground, a tree that's been planted in fall is better prepared for a dry summer than one that was planted in spring. For more planting tips, watch our handy how-to video.
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Maples might be the first thing that comes to mind when you're considering fall color, and we've got a gorgeous selection of proven performers. Ernie, who manages our green team (the crew that grows the plants that we sell, trees included), has a favorite: Fall fiesta sugar maple (pictured left). Its color show becomes more impressive as it matures. It's long-lived, pest resistant, native, has good form, and is reasonably fast growing. But for a standout autumn show, there are a number of less obvious options worth considering.
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Black gum (also called tupelo, pictured behind the logo above) has glossy leaves that turn a deep, fiery scarlet.
Ginkgo turns pure gold and drops its leaves all at once, leaving a bright carpet of leaves under the tree, making for easy cleanup. All of the varieties we stock are male, so there's no messy fruit to worry about.
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Graceful in form, birches, (real ones, that is), feature golden leaves in fall and peeling bark that shows off through the winter. They're also relatively compact, and they reach full size quickly. We carry river birch (pictured above) and whitespire birch, both varieties that thrive in Central Illinois.
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Some trees give you a double feature of flowers and fall leaves. Crabapples and ornamental cherries fall into this category.
Serviceberries (pictured right) stay compact, bloom in snowy white, and produce edible, blueberry-like fruit, turning fiery shades of red and orange in fall. They're a good replacement for invasive ornamental pear trees.
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Although its flowers are inconspicuous, tulip tree (pictured below) deserves special mention. It's a pollinator host plant for tiger swallowtail butterflies, and songbirds eat the small seed pods. In fall, the unique, four-pointed leaves turn burnished gold.
This is just a little sampler of the trees that we have in stock. You can browse our online plant database to see what we carry through the year, or you can come out and see the trees in person, ask us your questions, and let us help you find the perfect one.
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Tips for a Picture-Perfect Porch📸
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With corn swags and corn arches, Ernesto has been using familiar fall materials to make the front porch spectacular.
We've finally got some cooler weather! If you're looking to set a seasonal mood at your house, here are a few tips from our designers for using natural fall decor:
1. Start with something tall. Tying cornstalks to a lamppost or porch pillar is an easy way to pull the eye upward and add drama.
2. Put down a foundation. Strawbales give you a warm, textured background and keep your pumpkins off the ground.
3. Group everything else in odd numbers, with a few large objects and a few small ones. Three pumpkins or mums look more natural than two, and five look more natural than four. It’s an easy rule of design that works almost every time. (Except when it involves planting birch trees in the middle of your driveway.)
4. Make a plan for plant care. Mums and other autumn annuals are happiest with a good drink, and containers dry out more quickly than plants in the ground. Plan to check on them every day or two to keep them looking lush, watering as needed. Snip off blooms as they fade to keep the plants looking their best.
Get the look to go
Our Fall Porch Package is ready to pick up! For $49.99, you'll get one bundle of cornstalks, one yellow sticker pumpkin, two mums, and a full-sized strawbale.
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You can also customize your display with a fall porch pot, or pick up one of our pre-made ones. Our designers make them from scratch, so two are quite alike! If you don't see quite what you're looking for, you can also ask in Container Cove about custom-planted containers. (Be sure to say hi to Hickory the Cat while you're there.)
Or break the rules.
You have to know the rules to break them, but after that, let your creativity flow! Ernesto did.
Happy gardening!
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If you think creativity is more fun with company, grab your friends and sign up for one of our holiday workshops! The first one arrives this Saturday, October 17th, with a unique pressed flower pumpkin workshop, and we've got a great schedule on tap all the way from this Saturday through December.
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Choose a Hoerr homegrown pumpkin and decorate it with real pressed leaves and flowers using decoupage, the craft of sealing flat, decorative materials under a clear finish. The result is a one-of-a-kind pumpkin that shows off the colors of the season. Our designer Bekah will guide you through the process.
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Kids' Mini Pumpkin House
A walk-in kid's craft for autumn
- When: Saturday, October 17, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Cost: free
All ages are welcome, and no signup is required
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Create a tiny fall scene around a mini pumpkin house, complete with a little garden made of dried plant material. Kids are welcome, along with any adults who want to join in. Kelly will be available from 11am-2pm on Saturday, October 17th, ready with all the materials and inspiration you need. It's a relaxed, hands-on way to enjoy the harvest season.
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Houseplant Hacks: Grow Without a Pot (👈sign up here)
- When: Saturday, November 7, 10 a.m.
- Cost: $40, all materials included
Want a new way to display your favorite houseplants? Try kokedama.
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This Japanese planting style (the word 'kokedama' is pronounced koh-keh-DAH-mah, and it translates to "moss ball" in English), involves growing a houseplant in a ball of soil, moss and twine—no pot required. Display your finished kokedama on a dish, set it in a decorative bowl, or hang it up like a living ornament. They're easy to care for, as long as you know how.
Join Ayden as he shares the secrets to kokedama. You'll learn how to build and care for a planted moss ball, and take home a completed kokedama of your own.
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You can also get ahead of the game and sign up for one of our popular winter porch pot workshops, or a make a beautiful holiday centerpiece with Lauren. Visit hoerrnursery.com/workshops for details, or call 309-691-4561. We hope to see you soon!
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