Focus On Flowers
The fall is a good time to plant trees and shrubs, and it is fun to cruise the aisles of stores and nurseries to see if there are good deals available.
Fall is a good time to plant new shrubs that will improve the winter landscape. Some shrub genera include both evergreen and deciduous species.
Mahonias are robust, small shrubs that combine well with other evergreens such as conifers and hollies.
Dwarf fragrant sumac is a low-growing native shrub with yellow flowers in the early spring and has scented bark and foliage that are responsible for its name.
When the leaves, bark or wood of this shrub are cut or bruised a spicy aroma is released.
Flowering shrubs are invaluable in the garden, and many have pleasant perfumes as well as lovely flowers.
Japanese garden design is well known for its focus on different shades and textures of foliage, with a minimal use of flowers.
To improve the soil in an established garden, simply shred the leaves that accumulate from the trees in your yard and spread them over the garden beds.
Look at your autumn garden and your borrowed views and maybe add a few echoes of your neighbor’s colorful specimens in your own plantings next spring.
There are old-fashioned spiraeas with lacy white flowers such as ‘Bridal Wreath’ that are quite large, as well as many new dwarf cultivars on the market.
Moya Andrews is a Master Gardener and a member of the Bloomington Garden Club in Bloomington, Indiana. Learn more »
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