Fall Landscape | Design Ideas

The Fall Landscape

The Fall Landscape.....it's amazing. Aside from the fact that the hot summer has come to an end and the air is crisp and clean.....beautiful color can be seen everywhere. In the Fall, many people think, "Now, why didn't I think that plants with great Fall color were just as important as those with flowers when I was planning my garden?"

Japanese Red Maple in the Fall

A mix of colors is wonderful, but I have to admit that I am parcial to reds. And berries...I love berries! Be sure to get the female plants which produe the berries and include one male which is needed for the berry production.

Here are some plants that will provide a beautiful Fall Landscape with spectacular color:

Trees

Red Maple 'October Glory' or 'Red Sunset' - you will be amazed at the fire engine red colors
Chanticlear Pear - this is a tree with late fall color......purples and golds
American Holly - great red berries and evergreen
Purple Leaf Plum - purple leaves all season
Zelkova
Flowering Dogwood - red Fall color and berrie too!
Japanese Maple

Shrubs

Winterberry Holly - an abundance of red berries
Meservae Hollies - red berries and evergreen
Burning Bush - wow...fabulous red leaves in the Fall
Nandina
Red Barberry - red leaves all season

Planting Design For the Fall Landscape

Imagine this. You are walking or driving along, and you spot a really pretty shrub with bright red leaves. It stands out among some evergreen plants nearby. Now imagine this. It's the same scene, but instead of one of these shrubs, you see five...or seven...or nine. Now that red color is all the more striiking becasue there is so much of it!

My point is, that when planting for the Fall landscape, try to use a mass of a particular shtub. (This is true in all of landscape design.) It is less important with trees because of their large sizes and mass of foliage. The colorful leaves of a single tree will stand out anyway, but if you would like to use a group of three trees...go ahead.

Here is an example of a planting design for a specific area that will burst with Fall color.

You can create a bed in your front lawn to break up the large amount of grass. Create a curvilinear bed. It might be kidney shaped or something similar. The next part depends on the size of your property, but lets say the bed is 25' wide by 7' wide.

Place a Red Maple 'October Glory' or a Flowering Dogwood at one end. If you are standing at your house looking out, place seven Meservae Hollies along the back of the bed, and stagger them. In front of the Hollies, place five to seven Nandina 'Moon Bay'. You could also use Red Barberry instead. By the way, the texture of either the Nandinas or the Red Barberry against the Hollies looks great.

On the end opposite the Red Maple, but towards the front a bit, place three Burning Bush. In the Fall, you might purchase nine Mums, and place them in front of the Nandina...perhaps in the gold colors.

You might have noticed that I suggested placing the Nandina or Red Barberry on the house side of the Hollies, rather than the street side. The reason for this, is that when I have a choice of the design being oriented for a view from the street, or from the house, I opt for the house!

Return From Fall Landscape to Landscaping Ideas

footer for Fall Landscape page