A Colourful Garden in Autumn? Absolutely!

If you think that the wonderful colours of Spring and Summer come to an end in September, you could not be more wrong.  Fall brings us one of the spectacular shows throughout not only the City, but also through the countryside.  In fact, many people will take special trips just to revel in the brilliant colours of the Maples and appreciate our rural lands which are littered with Goldenrod and Asters.  It seems as though we have to drive to the country to view these magnificent shows.  Where is the colour in our own garden?

Autumn Garden Design

The secret is completely in the planning of your garden, long before a shovel even hits the ground.  Every season begins with Spring flowering bulbs which are followed by early flowering shrubs such as Flowering Almond, Japanese Cherries and many others.  These plants will only flower for a certain period of time and we must look for other shrubs and trees to continue the show of colour throughout the summer, such as Deutzia, Mockorange, Weigelia and of course Roses.

Autumn Garden Design

Very soon after these plants finish flowering in September we must realize that this does not mark the end of the planting season.  Instead, it marks the beginning of the next season.  In the planning stage, we should make room for plants that are late flowering and have brilliant Fall foliage.  Burning Bush is a popular shrub that is widely used but there are many more that can bring your garden to life in the Autumn and extend your season of colour to the fullest.

Autumn Garden Design

Some examples of plants that have good Fall colour are:

TREES FOR FALL COLOUR

NameScientific NameColour
Sugar MapleAcer saccharumorange, red
Red MapleAcer rubrumred
Other Maples yellow, orange, red
Red OakQuercus rubrared
Pin OakQuercus palustrisred  
KatsuraCercidiphylumorange-red
AshFraxinusmainly yellow
Mountain AshSorbusorange, red, yellow
GinkgoGinkgo bilobumyellow
LarchLarixYellow
Dawn RedwoodMetaesequoiagolden

SHRUBS FOR FALL COLOUR

NameScientific NameColour
Wayfaring TreeViburnum lantanapurple, bronze
ArrowwoodViburnum dentatumorange, red
ServiceberryAmelanchieryellow, orange
SmoketreeCotinuspurple, red
SumacRhusorange, red
BlueberryVacciniumorange
DogwoodCornusred, orange
Burning BushEuonymus alatusred
Spindle TreeEuonymus europeusred
Amur MapleAcer ginnelared
Hedge MapleAcer campestrisyellow

SHRUBS THAT FLOWER IN THE FALL

NameScientific NameColour
BluebeardCaropterisblue
Butterfly BushBuddleiapurple, pink, blue, white
PeeGee HydrangeaHydrangeawhite, pink
Witch HazelHamamelisyellow

SHRUBS WITH COLOURFUL BERRIES IN THE FALL

NameScientific NameColour
CoralberrySymphoricarpuspurple, pink
SnowberrySymphoricarpus albuswhite
CotoneasterCotoneasterred
FirethornPyracanthaorange, red
HollyIlexred
WinterberryIlex verticillatared
CranberryVibrunumred
Redleaf RoseRosa glaucared

PERENNIALS FOR FALL COLOUR

NameScientific NameColour
SneezewortAchillea ptarmicawhite
YarrowAchillea taygeieayellow
MonkshoodAconitumblue
Japanese AnemoneAnemone japonicapink, white
MugwortArtemisia lactiflorawhite
Italian AsterAster amellusblue, purple
New England AsterAster novae-angliaepurple, pink, white
New York AsterAster novae-angliseviolet
BoltoniaBoltonia asteroideswhite
Carpethian HareballCampanula carpathicablue
ChrysanthemumChrysanthemum x morifoliumall colours but blue
CoreopsisCoreopsisyellow
Purple ConeflowerEchinacea purpureapurple
Globe ThistleEchinopsblue
GaillardiaGaillardia x grandifoliared, yellow
SneezeweedHeleniumautumnalebronze, yellow
SunflowerHelianthus x multiflorusyellow
HeleopsisHeliopsisyellow
CoralbellsHeucherayellow
Rose MallowHibiscus moscheutosred, pink white
HoneybellsHoneybellsblue
Spotted Dead NettleLamium maculatumwhite
Gay FeatherLiatris spicatalilac, purple, white
Cardinal FlowerLobelia cardinalisscarlet
Blue CardinalLobelia siphiliticablue
CatmintNepeta mussiniiblue
Ozark SundropsOenothera missourensisyellow
Garden PhloxPhlox paniculatapink, white
False Dragon HeadPhysostegia virginianawhite, pink, purple
Ballon FlowerPlatycodon grandiflorusblue, white
Black eyed SusanRudbeckiayellow
Autumn Joy SedumSedum’Autumn Joy’pink, mauve
Greek MallowSidalceapink
GoldenrodSolidagoyellow

VINES FOR FALL COLOUR

NameScientific NameColour
BittersweetCelastris scandensorange scarlet fruit
Virginia CreeperPathenocissus quinquefoliascarlet
Boston IvyParthenocissus tricuspidatabrilliant colours

There are many plants scattered across the countryside that we generally consider to be weeds such as the Fall flowering Goldenrod.  We should not take these plants for granted just because they are prevalent everywhere Instead, we should remember that in other parts of the country where they are less common, they are highly valued.

The plants listed here are only a few of what is actually available for purchase.  Use these plants and others to take advantage of the change in seasons and your garden will give you an abundance of colour until the heavy frosts and first snow of winter arrive.

Autumn leaves
“Autumn Leaf in Nagasaki” by Marufish is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0