Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Fall Color



Many people (mistakenly) believe that once summer is over, their garden is over as well. At Victoria Gardens, we believe that fall in the garden has the potential to knock your socks off with an amazing assortment of autumn blooming perennials, fall-fruiting trees and shrubs, and a rainbow of fall foliage. Ornamental grasses are pluming now, offering great texture and height in perennial beds where you may have cut back many of your summer bloomers.

Rudbeckia fugida, pictured here in the foreground, is a native to us in the northeast, and a graceful and reliable addition to the fall garden. Pictured behind the rudbeckia is a Japanese Maple 'Tamukeyamia Threadleaf' which offers this stunning maroon color throughout the season. The threadleaf is a dwarf variety only reaching 8' tall and 10' wide, so it can easily be a focal point in a perenial bed. But take care in where you plant this ornamental tree, listed as zone 5b, we find that it likes protection from winter winds and prefers almost sandy, well-drained soil.