Wordless Wednesday

'Suminagashi' Japanese Maple

More Color for Fall

'Burgundy Bunny' fountain grass

This time of year, it's easy to get jealous of New England. Autumn in that part of the country looks--at least according to the pages of magazines like Country--like a kaleidoscope of color. And to be honest, compared to the soggy browns many of us are used to seeing around our neighborhoods in fall, it is. But it doesn't have to be that way. With a little planning you can have a garden full of autumn color as well.

As I've already written about, there are many great options for adding color to your yard this time of year. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Here are a few more of my favorites--and ones that are easy to grow, too!

First, barberry is a great plant that provides beautiful color in autumn. Depending on the variety you choose, you'll see fall colors range from hot pink to bright orange to rich crimson. One of my favorites is 'Helmond Pillar.' With a maximum height of five to six feet, it's great for the back of a flowerbed--but its narrow profile of just two feet wide will fit even the smallest space. In autumn, the deep burgundy leaves of 'Helmond Pillar' mellow out to beautiful shades of glowing red. At Vander Giessen's, we have this and many other varieties of barberry available--all with great fall color.

Speaking of red, another gorgeous shrub this time of year is the classic burning bush. My favorite is euonymous alata 'Compacta'--the dwarf burning bush. Throughout spring and summer, it holds slightly serrated deep green leaves on thick, woody stems. In September, the leaves start to fade out to pale green, but with the first cool nights, they flame up with bright crimson tones. Easily pruned to any shape or size, dwarf burning bush is drought-resistant and has no issues with insects or disease, so even when it's not "on fire" it's an attractive plant to grow.


If smaller perennials are more your taste in gardening, fall is an exciting time as well. Ornamental grasses like feather reed grass fade to golden brown; purple fountain grass shows off its fluffy seed heads and as I've written, 'Burgundy Bunny' grass reaches its peak as well. For a more robust-looking perennial, try a sedum like 'Autumn Joy.' This very drought-tolerant succulent has pink flowers just coming into bloom, and long after it has faded in a couple of months, it can provide winter interest as well.

Blueberry bush fall color

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention one of my favorite plants for four-season interest: blueberries. Sure, we all think of growing blueberries as a fruit crop. But have you considered planting them simply for their ornamental value? In spring, blueberries are loaded with beautiful bell-shaped flowers. In summer, you're treated to tasty, sweet fruit. And in fall, the shrub turns shades of brilliant red-orange. Follow that with stems that turn a bright red in winter and the common blueberry bush becomes a great standout in any garden. Moreover, if you choose to plant blueberries in your yard, the addition of the new 'Pink Lemonade' variety can add even more interest. With its golden-orange leaves in fall and yellow winter stems, it makes a great compliment to traditional blueberry varieties!

At Vander Giessen Nursery, you'll find all of the aforementioned varieties of shrubs and perennials--and right now, they're all on sale! In our neck of the woods, fall can be a gloomy time of year, but with a little planning, you can grow a garden sure to brighten even the darkest autumn day.

A Splash of Color for Autumn

Burning Bush fall color

Midway through last month, I told my California-native wife, “I’m sorry, but we’re just not going to get much summer this year.” Thankfully, I was wrong! As we enjoy this beautiful late summer, you’ve probably already started to notice a few changes in the season hinting that autumn isn’t too far off. From heavy morning dew to a smattering of gold and orange on maple trees, fall will be here soon. So what can you plant to add a splash of color to your yard for autumn? Moreover, is it safe to do so?

First, let me assure you that fall is a great time to plant. Whether you’re looking to add a few shrubs to your yard or redo an entire landscape, September and October are great months to work outside. Cooler nighttime temperatures and more regular rain (soon enough!) make autumn an ideal time to get work done in your yard. And while the nicer weather lasts, warm soil is great for encouraging rapid root development for your new plants.

In the past number of years, ornamental grasses have seen a surge in popularity among gardeners. One of my favorites is one called ‘Little Bunny.’ A small mound of finely-textured green grass, its delicate, puffy seed heads resemble bunny tails. This year, a brand new introduction is called ‘Burgundy Bunny.’ It bears all the same characteristics as ‘Little Bunny’ but with added color. In summer, a splash of red on the leaves will first catch your eye; in autumn, the entire plant will turn red. Use it as an accent in a sunny flowerbed or show it off in a container—its small size will fit most any space.

Another great plant for fall color—and interesting texture—is a relatively new variety of sumac called ‘Tiger Eyes.’ In spring and summer, its soft, velvety branches hold lacy leaves of bright green or gold colors—that alone makes it showy. But come fall, the foliage lights up with intense scarlet and orange shades sure to brighten any rainy October day.

Like I mentioned above, you may have started to see the first hints of fall color on maples as you drive around the county. If you love the interest maples provide but simply don’t have the space for a full-size version, there are still great options. First, ‘Lion’s Head’ Japanese maple provides great shape, texture and fall color in a small package. Very slow growing, this variety tops out at 10 feet—but it may take 30 years to get there! In fall, its tightly crinkled leaves turn bright shades of coppery orange, and even after it drops its leaves, the robust branches provide great structure to your garden through the winter.

If an upright Japanese maple isn’t right for the space you have, try a weeping laceleaf variety. One of my favorites is ‘Viridis.’ Green through spring and summer, it will turn the brightest of orange shades in autumn; with its small stature, it can fit in most any garden space.

Finally, if you have space for a beautiful shade tree—and with this weather, that sounds good—try a katsura. In fall, its small round leaves turn a beautiful shade of gold with touches of orange.

Whatever the amount of space you have available in your garden, adding some extra fall color can brighten up a dark day and extend the beauty of your landscaping into a new season. Stop by your favorite local nursery to check out what’s on sale and what you can add to your yard today!

Fall Clearance Sale!

Have you started to notice a change in the weather? It's here--whether we're ready or not, autumn is arriving! Along with the new season comes a great new sale at Vander Giessen's--our fall clearance!

Starting today, nearly our entire selection of in-stock trees, shrubs and perennials is on sale at 25% off! Excluded plants include fall flowers and fresh-stock emerald green arborvitae. Other than that, every other plant is on sale!

During our fall clearance, popular plants sell out fast, and we've already got a tight supply on many key items, so stop in soon to take advantage of great savings on your favorite plants. While you're here, check out our new selection of spring bulbs--now is the time to start planting them--and pick up some fall fertilizer for your lawn. As always, we look forward to serving you!

Wordless Wednesday

Check out our selection of beautiful succulents!

Wordless Wednesday

Black-Eyed Susans looking great at the nursery!

Keep 'Em Looking Nice

This time of year can be a challenge for gardeners no matter how passionate you may be about plants. Annuals are beautiful and can give you months of color if you treat them right, but by late August, you're just tired. Sound familiar? Here are a few simple tips to keep things looking nice and avoid the uphill battle it can sometimes feel like.

First, make sure you're keeping up on watering. By late summer, your hanging baskets and planters are (hopefully!) burgeoning--you should have plenty of plant material falling out of your containers. Lots of plants means lots of water, though, and if you forget for just a couple of days, it might be too late to save them. Spare yourself the headache of trying to revive toasted annuals by moving any containers to a spot you're sure to notice--and water--them each day. Also, for hanging baskets, water until the water drips out the bottom of your pots. A few squirts of water might have been enough early on in the year, but not now!

Second, give your flowers a haircut. By late summer you may have annuals that have started to get "leggy" or stretch and become unsightly. For plants like geraniums, pick off any flowers and buds and chop back long stems. With warm weather they'll bounce back in no time and you'll end up with much more compact, full plants. For trailing plants like petunias and million bells, don't be afraid to give them a haircut either. Trim off 1/3 of the length, and again, you'll end up with fuller, more vigorous plants in no time.

Finally, keep up on fertilizing. This is really the most important step. Like I mentioned in my main article this month, now is the time to start using Jack's Blossom Booster or Petunia Feed if you haven't already. At Vander Giessen's we love Jack's Classic 20-20-20 as a well-balanced "staple" in fertilizing your flowers, but as we get later in the season, you don't need to encourage so much plant growth. Instead, you're likely more interested in keeping them blooming--right? That's why Jack's Blossom Booster is so great--it will still fertilize for plant growth, but it does so at a lesser rate and does more to encourage blooming. For your petunias, million bells and bacopa, Jack's Petunia Feed will help to promote additional flowering and keep the leaves from turning yellow as they're prone to do this time of year even with regular feeding.

You've put a lot of time and effort into making your home look beautiful with flowers this year. Now that the weather is finally nice, take a few simple steps to keep them looking great the rest of the season--you'll be glad you did!