Fall in New England can be a magical time with the explosion of color everywhere, the crisp fall air and the anticipation of winter. It is important to consider all the seasons when planning your garden or adding to it. If something is not working, be brutal and pull it out and replace it with something that provides color in a different season. Here are some of my fall favorites considering that I live in Zone 5.

Winterberry ‘Red Sprite’

Viburnum ‘Mariesii’

Kousa Dogwood

Barberry ‘Royal Burgundy’

Hydrangea ‘Quick Fire’ leaves turn glorious colors in fall

Hydrangea ‘Pinky Winky’

Allium tuberosum

Pink Diamond

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and Oakleaf Hydrangea ‘Alice’ which turn a deep red in fall

Viburnum ‘Brandywine’

River Birch

Cotinus ‘Royal Purple’

Physocarpus – Ninebark – ‘Summerwine’ and ‘Coppertina’

Amsonia ‘Montana’

Hamamelis x intermedia

Acer palmatum – Japanese Maple ‘Koto no ito’
Of course, don’t forget about perennials- seed heads from Alliums, Sedum, Seed pods from Siberian Iris and Mums
Tell me your favorite fall perennials and shrubs! I also love Red Twig Dogwoods and Fothergilla gardenii for great fall color.
Did you miss the last blog on Fall Grasses or Handy Tips for Autumn clean up
[…] Don’t forget about shrubs and grasses. Remember you will see your garden in the winter too. Consider evergreens, arbors, sculpture etc. Provide some winter interest. Inkberry shrub is an evergreen and a better option than Boxwood which in recent years has been plagued with issues. Shrubs provide structure and a solid background to the garden. Foliage in a variety of shapes lends elegance to your garden and unifies the overall cohesiveness of a space. An evergreen shrub might be the major anchor plant in a bed while the surrounding plants play a supporting role. Some shrubs are evergreen and as it says, will stay green all year around while others are deciduous and lose their leaves in the winter. Provide a mix of both. Here’s a link to my blog on Shrubs. […]