By: Lisa Briggs | September 12th, 2019
As summer wanes and autumn approaches, birds congregate in the trees and on overhead wires. The air is sweetly scented with ripening fruit. The light changes, becoming more golden. Everything seems ready to burst. Not in the tender, life is beginning way of spring, but in a more poignant manner that hints life in the garden is starting to fade.
When summer is dishing out heat and humidity, and winter brings us face to face with another polar vortex, we remember the rich palette of autumn. Fall color typically peaks mid-October in southern Wisconsin, but many of us are too busy to do much traveling. The solution? Plant as many trees, shrubs, and perennials that have an autumn interest as possible.
Let’s begin with the most obvious sign of fall, the changing colors of foliage. If you have room for a large shrub, the Serviceberry cloaks itself in the most spectacular shades of clear orange. As added bonuses, the white flowers in early spring and blue summer fruit make it a plant with year-round interest.
A shrub that packs a powerful punch of fall color is the Witch-alder, or Fothergilla. They are quite adaptable plants that naturalize beautifully. ‘Mt Airy’ sports grey-green foliage that offers a cool foil to your summer blooming perennials, but as the temperatures drop, it warms right up with a dazzling display of gold, orange and scarlet.
And good fall interest isn’t limited to woody plants. Plenty of perennials can put on an eye-catching show. For excellent foliage color, it’s hard to beat the Cranesbill Geraninums. Many of these easy-care perennials can adapt to light conditions from full sun to part shade, with lovely summer flowers in pink and blue. Once the flowers fade, Geraniums will dress themselves in shades of scarlet and burgundy.
A native perennial to consider is Little Bluestem. This grass’s clumping habit makes it a great companion plant in any mixed border, and the flowers are an important food source for small butterflies. In the late summer, the ripening seed heads will attract migrating birds. The foliage of this beauty adds a soft contrast to the strong hues of summer. But watch it in the late summer as it changes to tones of copper, burgundy and smoky purple.
And speaking of food for wildlife, you have to consider the Chokeberries. Members of the genus Aronia have fabulous fall color, but the fruit display is amazing. The tips of the branches are covered in bright red or deep blue-black berries, depending on the variety.
Travel Wisconsin has developed an excellent resource for finding the best fall color in-state areas. Local observers report and predict the color in all 72 counties. https://www.travelwisconsin.com/fall-color-report But whether you’re able to explore a new place, or need to stay home, do your garden a favor and this year, plan for fall leaves before the leaves fall.