When envisioning December in the Midwest, many people picture snowy yards, freezing cold temperatures, and icicles hanging from the eaves. While this scene can certainly be an accurate depiction of the late fall, it isn’t always the case. Many times we’re simply faced with bare trees and bushes among dried, brown grass with no bright pops of colorful flowers to break up the dreariness, giving the landscaping a desolate feel. However, with many areas experiencing milder December weather, there are steps you can take to ensure your garden maintains its beauty during the late fall.
Plan your fall garden early
Late in the year, many garden centers and nurseries have a much smaller selection than they do in the spring. If you can plan for your fall garden early in the year, you will have many more options to choose from, and there are many types of vegetation that shift as the year progresses, adding beauty and color to your yard from spring through fall. As other fall annuals become available, you can add them to your garden as well. Map out where in your landscape you will want to place the plants, then determine which ones would be best suited to the amount of sun and weather exposure they would be getting in that area. Grouping plants together into a smaller area will have a bigger visual impact and can make care and maintenance more manageable.
Incorporate a variety of vegetation
When creating your fall garden, include trees, shrubs, grasses, and vines in addition to annual and perennial flowers. The variety of colors and textures will add much more visual interest to your landscape and break up some of the monotony of a brown, desiccated yard. While evergreens are a great choice for pops of green that last year-round, there are many plants and flowers that offer various shades of other rich or vibrant colors that change throughout the year. Consider adding some of these plants to your landscape for beauty that will transcend seasons:
- Winterberry: This shrub displays gorgeous red, orange, or yellow fruit through the fall and early winter and is an excellent choice for a bright pop of color. Be sure that you have a male and female variety of this plant in order to grow berries.
- Panicle hydrangea: This shrub or small tree remains hardy through the winter. It has white flowers during the summer and into fall that change to pink before turning brown.
- Smokebush: This shrub or small tree has smoky pink flowers in the summer and reddish-purple, bright orange, or yellow foliage in the fall.
- Ninebark: This low-maintenance shrub offers year-round visual interest with white flowers, red fruits, and colorful foliage that lasts through the spring, summer, and early fall. Once the leaves fall away, the exfoliating bark is on display.
- Serviceberry: This shrub or small tree has beautiful white flowers in spring that produce red or purple-black fruits during the summer and showcases a blend of gold, red, orange, and green leaves in the fall.
- Chokeberry: This hardy shrub is great for windbreaks and erosion control. It can tolerate very wet soil and yields fruit through the winter. White flowers bloom in the spring, while red, orange, and purple leaves shine in the fall.
Late fall landscapes don’t have to be all brown and dreary. Integrating a variety of trees, plants, and flowers that offer visual interest or vibrant colors will go a long way in maximizing your garden’s beauty.
