The air is getting colder, but your garden’s soil is actually warmer now than it is in the spring. That means that with the right care, roots will happily grow right up until the ground freezes. Here are a few great reasons to start your planting in autumn:
1- Fall has its share of rainy days, which means free drinks for your garden friends.
2- Trees get a bit stressed when they’re moved or planted, and fall’s cooler air is kinder to them. Plant trees in the fall and they’ll have all of autumn to develop their root system, giving them a head start in the spring.
3- Planting and designing your landscape now will ensure a beautiful spring bloom. Rather than starting from scratch once winter finally abates and waiting for the results, you could be smiling at pretty pink blooms as the first signs of spring in your yard.
Types of Trees to Plant:
For Gorgeous Fall Colours:
Ginkgo:
If you love yellow, Ginkgo is your tree. It offers up gorgeous yellow fan-shaped leaves each fall. The umbrella-shaped ginkgo tree is also great at resisting insects and disease.
Autumn Blaze Maple:
Fall’s most famous tree offers a stunning array of red, orange and yellow leaves. The maples that make us gasp from the roadside are often huge but these beauties come in a variety of sizes, so they can work in any landscape. There is also a lovely, lacy-leaf Japanese maple for smaller spots.
Red Twig Dogwood:
This great tree has it all: clusters of pretty white blooms in the spring, plum-colored fruit that attracts birds and beautiful red leaves in the fall. Bonus: ruby red stems that continue to impress once the leaves have dropped. They are gorgeous even when peeking through the snow around your home!
For Heathy Treats:
Apple:
Enterprise is a great apple tree! This bright red apple has crisp, juicy flesh and excellent flavor. It ripens in mid to late October, and offers 3-inch apples that sweeten in storage. Store them in the fridge and they’ll keep their crunch for five to six months. Other great apple tree options include Gala, Freedom, Empire, Golden Delicious and Liberty varieties.
Cherry:
Cherry trees produce either sweet or sour cherries. Their white blossoms bloom in the spring, followed by the pretty red cherries in the summer. For a sweeter taste, try Empire Francis, Hartland and Stella. Prefer sour? Try Balaton or Montmorency.
Plum:
Plum trees prefer full sun and moist soil. They bloom in the spring and form fruit in the summer. Some tasty options include Seneca, Stanley, French Damson and Early Golden.
For Phenomenal Flowers:
Flowering Dogwood:
There is so much to love about dogwood, especially its abundance of white or pink flowers in the spring. It also offers pretty reddish-purple leaves and glossy red fruit in the fall. Its spreading, horizontal branches offer a unique look during winter months, too!
Flowering Crabapple:
A flowering crabapple has impressive blossoms that open from pink or red buds then create a stunning, fragrant pink cloud for several weeks each spring. For a full season of enjoyment, try the Asian crab apple specimens. They are most popular because their fruits are more colorful and last into the winter, providing food for grateful birds.
Redbud:
Best known for its lovely profusion of pink flowers in the spring, redbud also offers pretty golden heart-shaped leaves in the fall. Bonus: unlike most showy trees that love sun, redbud will grow in light shade.
Serviceberry:
This gorgeous tree flowers in the spring, produces beautiful green foliage all summer, and has a brilliant orange shade in the fall.
We can help you choose the best types of trees for your needs and create a planting design to suit your landscape. Call us today! 514-683-6644
