Designing Fall Combos
It's that time of year when I'm dodging rain showers in the garden and preparing for cooler days ahead while enjoying the rich colors of autumn that still have me reaching for my camera.
The best fall gardens are those which celebrate the season with bold combinations and dramatic vignettes. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Temper the heat with cool blue foliage
Clockwise from left: Dwarf Arizona corkbark fir, Ruby Vase Persian ironwood, Shenandoah switch grass, Jerusalem sage, Ogon spirea
My favorite tree without question is Ruby Vase Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica 'Ruby Vase'). If you haven't got it – find it. From spidery red winter flowers to an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colors from spring until fall, you'll be thankful for the age of digital photography when the cost of film is no longer a concern! Check out an earlier post I wrote about this stunning tree and see more juicy photos in all four seasons here.
The fall colors include purple, gold, orange and red – perfect to play of finely textured, red-tipped Shenandoah switch grass (Panicum v. 'Shenandoah') and shimmery golden yellow Ogon spirea (Spiraea t. 'Ogon'). To create a counterpoint to these hot colors, add a cool blue conifer such as Blue Star juniper, Colorado blue spruce or as I have here a dwarf Arizona corkbark fir (Abies lasiocarpa 'Glauca Compacta').
If you can only choose ONE…
Arkansas blue star – the star of any fall garden
The ultimate fall superstar award has to go to Arkansas blue star (Amsonia hubrichtii). Plant this herbaceous perennial in large drifts, stand back, and be amazed. Deer resistant, rabbit resistant, and drought tolerant. Feathery green foliage gives way to this unbelievable autumnal display. Check out this post to see what over FIFTY of these beauties look like in a raised bed as well as other design ideas!
Keep companions simple – here a mossy boulder emphasizes the soft texture while Grace smoke bush (Cotinus 'Grace') affords high color contrast.
Add a focal point
Consider adding a non-plant element such as a container to contrast with the fall foliage display. Here a rustic blue-green pot adds color contrast to the fall colors of barberries and a Japanese maple, anchoring the vignette.
Vary the textures
Shenandoah switch grass and Tangelo barberry contrast leaf texture and form, while a Baby Blue boulevard cypress adds a soft blue backdrop
Even a monochromatic display can be enlivened by varying leaf shape and size, such as pairing fine grasses with the round leaves of a deciduous shrub. A soft blue conifer in the background adds contrast.
Visit your friends gardens for ideas!
Former garden of friend and designer Mitch Evans – always an inspiration
Make a point of visiting other gardens this month – both public and private. You're sure to come away with ideas! Two stunning fall combinations from the garden shown above are featured in my most recent book, (co-authored with Christina Salwitz), Gardening with Foliage First. You'll LOVE them! You can also enjoy a fall virtual tour of his garden here.
To help you further
If you like these ideas but are concerned about keeping your garden easy to manage, you may be interested in my short online course
Secrets to Selecting Low Maintenance Plants
It will help you make wise choices when shopping for plants, when assessing what you already have AND help you put combinations together.
Check out the details, and as a special incentive I'm offering you 15% off using the coupon code FALL15 at the checkout.
Don't delay though, the coupon expires October 27th, 2018 and the course is only open for registration for a limited time.