Leif’s article in last week’s Northfield News addressed the many different plants that put on a color show in the fall. Read on….
“In a difficult real estate market it can be an advantage to be able to show prospective buyers that the house you have for sale has some appealing features that set it apart. Top quality landscape plants that also show outstanding autumn color can be just the thing to trip the trigger and bring you a purchase offer.
If you have plants that paint the landscape in eye popping colors be sure you take plenty of good digital pictures this fall, and assemble them into an on-line slide show. Your agent can then see that this selling tool gets included in the sales materials that people looking for a home can look through and any time of the year get a real feel for all the best the house has to offer.
If your landscape is a bit drab in the fall and you think you may be selling in a few years, now is a great time to put in some trees, shrubs and perennials that can add some amazing curb appeal. This is the time of year when you can visit your favorite nursery and see plants in their fall glory. Don’t wait too long to go and look because the autumn color show doesn’t last forever.
What follows are just a few examples of the many landscape plants that can add stunning seasonal color to dress up your house. A knowledgeable nursery professional can show you more when you stop to see them for yourself.
Perennials: Autumn Joy Sedum offers rosy fall blossoms and a nice middle size upright but mounded texture. Purple Dome Aster has iridescent purple blossoms that can last through the early frosts of autumn. Turtlehead is another fall blossoming perennial with dark green foliage and bright pink blossoms. Perennial geraniums often show lovely fall leaf color, as do Bergenia, Amsonia, and Tiarella. Minnesota hardy mums are always s a good choice to brighten up the fall garden, and some of the ornamental grasses are at their best in the fall, with tawny golden stems and silvery heads waving gracefully in the breeze. Don’t forget the vines – Bittersweet, Engleman Ivy and Boston Ivy all have their fall color show.
Shrubs: Burning Bush (Winged Euonymus) is hard to beat for glowing red fall color, but Grace Smokebush, Emerald Carousel Barberry, Tiger Eyes Sumac and Staghorn Sumac, Magic Carpet Spirea and many of the Viburnums also are star performers delivering excellent autumn color. Amur Maple and compact Amur Maple show fluorescent reddish/orange colors that catch the eye from afar.
Trees: Korean Sun Ornamental Pear can stop the show with its mix of yellow orange and red. Prairiefire Crab compliments its rich red spring blossoms with nice red/burgundy/orange in fall. Burning Bush is now available in a dwarf tree form, and brilliant red fruit that persists on the tree branches throughout the fall and winter is a hallmark of several flowering crabs, including Red Jewel, Sugar Tyme and Firebird. Amur Maple Tree form is yet another option for a smaller ornamental tree with good fall color.
In shade trees, Sugar Maples and Hybrid Maples dominate the ranks, displaying various mixes of yellow, gold, orange, red and burgundy. Majesty, Fall Fiesta, Green Mountain and our Native Sugar Maple are good choices for a nice hard maple. Autumn Blaze, Autumn Fantasy, Sienna Glen, and Firefall are all hybrid maples that grow quickly and have outstanding autumn hues. Pacific Sunset is a very nice hybrid of Norway Maple and Tartarian Maple that has beautiful shiny deep green leaves that are handsome all summer, and then offer a mix of yellow/orange and red fall color.
Don’t discount the Oaks. When well cared for, oaks can grow into nice sized trees in a surprisingly short time. White Oak, Northern red Oak, and Northern Pin Oak all show beautiful shades of red, russet and burgundy and tend to show color after the maples, which can be a nice way of extending the fall color season.
Remember that these plants can’t add value to your property unless you get them planted. Bargains abound at your local nursery centers this time of year, so go take a look and put the shovel in your hand.”
