Trees and Shrubs

While it may seem that the gardening season should be over, fall is actually a perfect time to plant. Yes, things above ground may look bleak, but below ground root growth is still in full swing.

• Planting success is all about the roots.
• You can plant later than you may think.

When you plant in the fall the soil is still warm from summer. Warm soil temps encourage new roots to grow. Fall is also the time when plants naturally shift their energy from top growth to root growth. This helps plants establish faster. Rainfall is more plentiful and predictable in the fall. New plantings require moisture for optimal growth. In addition, annual weeds that compete for nutrients and moisture are finishing their life cycle, which reduces this competition. And fall’s ample rainfall encourages roots to grow more deeply. Deeper roots are better able to find water now and next spring.

Another counter-intuitive benefit to planting in the fall is the cooler air temperatures above ground. Cooler temps mean less stress and fewer pest and disease problems.

Last but not least, roots continue to grow until the ground freezes. The results are that plants that are put in the ground in the fall will have stronger roots to start off next spring. Then when summer comes, they will be better equipped to deal with heat and drought.

Some things need to be planted in the early fall

There are many plants that will thrive when planted about four weeks before the first hard frost. These plants – grass seed, turf and cool season vegetables – need to establish a root system before the ground starts to cool in late fall.

Seeds or seedlings of lettuce, radishes, broccoli and spinach can be planted in early fall. To extend the harvest later into the fall, a row cover of black plastic can be added for further protection once heavy frost arrives.

Early fall is the best time for rejuvenating your lawn or for planting a new lawn. Grass seed germinates at cooler temperatures than summer can provide. Weeds are not germinating now making it the perfect time for lawn work. Ideally, new grass seed should be planted about a month before the first hard frost predicted for your area.

Groundcovers such as Vinca or pachysandra will develop strong root systems when planted in the fall. When spring arrives your fall planted beds will be thick and full of healthy plants.

Some things can be planted even into late fall

Any perennial, shrub or tree that has been grown in a container or ball and burlapped can be planted late into the fall – right up until the time that the ground freezes. Later plantings will benefit from a protective mulch once the ground is frozen. This insulates the soil and keeps it from freezing and thawing.

Tulips, Daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs are best planted from mid-October through ground freeze. Planting too early can cause the bulbs to send up top growth at the wrong time.  Planting bulbs in the fall ensures a good root system and a beautiful garden when spring arrives.

Final benefit

Savvy shoppers know that plant prices come down as the year comes to an end. Perennials are an especially great bargain because most people see a perennial that has passed and assume it’s dead. Fact is planting perennials in the fall means you’ll get a great price, and the plant will have the fall months to grow a strong root system. Next spring you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic, established plant and some extra money in your pocket to boot.

The last bit of color in the garden coincides nicely with the Thanksgiving Day holiday. The landscape is turning shades of gray and brown as the leaves litter the ground and the bare tree branches form outlines against the sky. There is one shrub, the Korean rhododendron, which brightens the back corner of the garden and has been a reliable bit of late color for the past six years. It is worth noting because it’s the very last of the shrubs in the border to lose its leaves and also the first of my flowering shrubs to bloom in the spring. The leaves finally drop anywhere from the last week of November to the second week of December, depending on the weather. The picture above was taken in 2007 when the grouping of three shrubs was considerably smaller.They were a bit more orange that year. The color ranges from this brilliance to a slightly more subdued yellow orange, as it is this year. This is a deciduous (leaf-dropping) rhododendron and the ‘Cornell Pink’ cultivar was developed at Cornell University in the early 1950’s. The R. mucronulatum was introduced to the U. S. market in the late 1800’s and originates inKorea, Manchuria and Northern China. It will grow up to ten feet tall with a similar spread. I find the flower color of ‘Cornell Pink’ much more desirable than the straight species color, which is a light purple. The Korean rhododendron buds start to crack color in early April and the flowers emerge towards the end of the month. It will bloom for a considerable length of time and it looks wonderful in front of the blooms of a star magnolia (Magnolia stellata). During the summer, this shrub contributes medium fine foliage and airy grace to the shrub border. The Korean rhododendron fits into a naturalistic landscape quite well and it is working overtime right now in the garden, where it shows up quite nicely from a distance. I highly recommend adding a few of these to your garden if they are not already in residence. Is there anything in your garden which is still showing color or life? Share if you will. The winter will be long enough.

October is THE month of glorious color in New England. Mid-October gives us the golden reality of peak foliage in hues of scarlet, tangerine and warm yellow, but this change is progressive and the small, isolated bits of color start to appear in late September if one pays attention to nature. In my garden, the first deciduous plant to show color is the poison ivy that climbs many of the trees in the surrounding woodlands. This year it’s brilliant orange. The changing of the foliage is the most obvious change of the season, but even the foliage begins with just a leaf or a branch or two of color. The maples are often the first to show any inclination to change from their robes of summer green to the jewel tones of autumn. The swamp maple (Acer rubrum) above has one brilliant branch of red that’s quite difficult to overlook on the morning walk.

With the coloration of the foliage under way, there are many less obvious, often overlooked plants still fruiting and flowering in the garden. It’s worth taking the time to observe the small wonders nature has to offer. In my garden, the purple beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica) is covered with berries that seem impossibly purple. This small shrub could be underplanted with fall crocus (Colchicum autumnale), which would create a petticoat of lavender at the base of the shrub. ( Note to self: Underplant purple beautyberry with colchicums.)

October is also a month for mushrooms. I only wish I could identify the edible treats from the more common poisonous varieties. I’ll have to satisfy myself with photographing the many mushrooms that appear after the rain. They force themselves up through the woodland debris, often carrying bits of soil and duff skyward on their caps. I find them all intriquing and each is unique.

Evident this year is Mother Nature’s generousity with acorn production. It’s difficult to walk anywhere without crushing or slipping on the acorns. They’re pinging off the car in the driveway and off the windshield on the roadways. Does ample acorn production mean we’ll have a harsh winter with lots of snow? Scientists say that there is no correlation, and I sure hope they’re right.

Has acorn production been as vigorous and plentiful in your garden? What small wonders have you observed in your garden these early days of October?

I coach all kinds of homeowners in gardening and see two very common situations with the identical solution.  Beginners often have a blank slate, so where do they start?   Others have been gardening for a good while and seen improvements, but their gardens still don’t thrill them.  Something’s missing and it’s almost always shrubs, especially big, fast-growing ones that will soon create a nice Eastern fullness and presence in the garden.  They’ll provide the sense of enclosure that’s essential in an outdoor space the family can enjoy.  And they’ll be the perfect backdrop to perennials and annuals that the homeowners may also want to grow (and gardeners definitely will).   

Luckily, there are plenty of great shrubs that, in addition to doing all that, will put on quite a show when it’s their turn to bloom.  So without further ado, here are some of my favorite flowering shrubs that help make a yard look like a garden.  I’ve provided links to my web page for each one, for additional details.  Oh, and best time to plant any of them?  September-October.  The second-best time is spring, as early as possible.

The doublefile viburnum is perhaps the best-looking viburnum of all, of which there are dozens of great ones for the garden.  The doublefile is almost as tall as a dogwood and blooms at the same time.  It definitely needs supplemental watering in periods of drought but beyond that, just some renewal pruning after it’s a few years old.  My method is to remove a third of the stems to the ground after they’ve bloomed, and they respond well to it.

Next, two of the many weigelas filling up my garden.  Also easy-care, they have the added feature of growing really fast.  I’ve been happy to see more great varieties of weigela available lately – people need more plants like these that are as close to self-sustaining as you’ll find. 

Spireas are another group of shrubs that breeders are working with, and we’re seeing amazing new varieties these days - lots of shorter types, and an array of chartreuse-leaved beauties.  This is the old-fashioned bridal wreath type doing great work as a foundation plant in front of my house.  Even in the winter when the leaves are bare, it has a large woody presence. 

Another fast-grower is this oakleaf hydrangea.  In addition to the virtues you see here, its exfoliating bark makes it a focal point all winter.  Seriously. 

And I couldn’t resist showing off one more hydrangea – the later-blooming ‘Tardiva’ that gardeners just don’t use enough.  Garden writers are touting its virtues, so we may be seeing more of them soon.  They’re larger and more drought-tolerant than the familiar mophead hydrangeas that bloom in pink and blue.