As cooler weather moves in, many shrubs begin to add their autumn color to the garden. What’s especially nice is that the color can last for weeks. If you are looking to brighten up your fall landscape, plant viburnums, barberries, sumacs or dogwoods.
The same compact American viburnum that offers white flower early in the season and clusters of beautiful berries later on has foliage that turns a gorgeous red in autumn. Fall color in viburnums ranges from red to yellow to burgundy; be sure to check the tag for details on the variety you are selecting.
Sumac is another shrub especially prized for its
incredible fall colors. It turns orange, scarlet and red.
Dogwoods shouldn’t be overlooked either. Some of them have wonderful fall colors. Barberries also offer autumn beauty. The variety Kobold turns a soft golden yellow while its cousin, Crimson Pygmy, changes it foliage from red to a fantastic orange-red.
Box Elder Bugs
In the fall, hordes of box elder bugs, which are brownish-
black bugs, one-half- inch long with red stripes on their wings, descend on homes and outdoor living areas trying to find dry, protected locations to hibernate for the winter. Box elder bugs do not feed on fabric or furniture, but may stain household items with their
excrement.
The best solution for ridding a home of these pests is to suck them up with a tank type vacuum cleaner. If absolutely necessary, the insects that are outside can be sprayed with an insecticide called Bug Max 365°. As an
alternative to chemical control you can use a coarse spray of water containing insecticidal soap. The best way to keep these bugs out of your home is to keep doors and windows screened and fill any cracks
around windows or your home’s foundation.
Tall Fall-Blooming Sedums
If you have a sunny space in your garden, upright sedums can add a spectacular dash of fall color. ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum is a tough,
sun-loving, drought-tolerant plant that will grow about 18” tall and
offers large bronze-red flower
clusters from late summer through fall. It grows in a nice neat clump, which allows it to be used either as a specimen plant or in groups.
There are actually several other forms of upright sedum including sedum ‘Autumn Fire’, ‘Neon’ and a new variegated sport of Autumn Joy called ‘Autumn Charm’.
Autumn Charm has bronze-red flowers that stand out against the variegated white-green leaves. ‘Neon’ produces bright neon pink blooms and large leaves. The flowers start forming in late summer and by fall are in full color.
Sedums will grow in almost any soil, as long as it is well drained. If your location is a little shady, try cutting the sedums back to about 8-10” in early June. The plants will be more compact and the flowers a bit smaller,
but there will be more flowers on stronger stems
Try Something Different
Blueberry Hill juniper is a great new look in junipers.
It’s a low growing evergreen that only gets 12” high so it’s perfect as a low foundation plant or border front in sunny
areas. Blueberry Hill has rich dark-green needles with a
silvery blue streak on the upper surface. It can spread as much as 4’ making it a good choice for planting on slopes. Like other plants in the same family, Blueberry Hill is very
undemanding and needs only minimal care until it gets
established. This juniper is very hardy to Zone 3.
Did You Know?
Ginkgo trees lived over 150 million years ago during
the age of the dinosaurs.
They have changed
very little since then..
Flowers and gifts from Bachman’s make any day a special one. When you order your flowers or gifts online, you know you’ll be getting a beautiful fresh floral arrangement from a trusted florist known for outstanding floral design, plus quality and service.
If you’re sending flowers or gifts out of town, you can rely on us to choose the best florist from either the FTD or Teleflora nationwide flower network. Florists who can be counted on to deliver the best fresh floral arrangements and gifts, even when doing a same day delivery.
