Going Gracefully Into Winter

These inspiring designs prove that transitional plants are the key to making garden magic in fall

I ’ll accommodate it : Sometimes I ’m so raddled out by the destruction of summer , with all the watering and weeding , that I really just give up on my garden . But by the time the shekels maples ( Acer genus Saccharum , Zones 3–8 ) start bursting into full coloring in the Mrs. Henry Wood at the edge of the garden , I start feeling shamefaced that my landscape painting is dreary and irksome in comparing . These invention show that with the internalisation of a few fundamental autumnal stars , your garden can become a worthy partner to its seasonal surroundings .

All you need is one star—and maybe a couple of extras

There ’s no deny that the Rocky Mountain maple is the sensation of this front edge . But the masses of OK - textured grasses interspersed with pappa of people of color from the aster and the goldenrod are the perfect backing Isaac Merrit Singer . Together they make this four - season garden really shine in autumn .

Key plants

1 . Rocky Mountain maple(Acer glabrum , zone 5–8 )

2 . Purple fountain grass(Pennisetum setaceum*‘Rubrum ’ , Zones 8–10 )

3 . ‘ Karl Foerster ’ feather reed grass(Calamagrostis×acutiflora‘Karl Foerster ’ , Zones 4–9 )

4 . ‘ Purple Dome ’ aster(Symphyotrichum novae - angliae‘Purple Dome ’ , Zones 3–8 )

5 . Goldenrod(Solidagocv . , Zones 4–9 )

Fiery foliage amps up a simple container

This design would harbour up all twelvemonth , thanks to the airy grass foliage and the red and green leafage of the stalwart heucheras . But when fall hit and the grasses start plume and their blades set about turning people of colour , the washables bucket comes alert .

1 . ‘ Adagio ’ miscanthus(Miscanthus sinensis*‘Adagio ’ , Zones 5–9 )

2 . Nipponese blood grass(Imperata cylindrica*‘Rubra ’ , Zones 5–9 )

3 . Heuchera(Heucheracv . , Zones 4–9 )

4 . Heuchera(Heucheracv . , Zones 4–9 )

If you want impact, think yellow

No color is more eye - catching in downslope than bright yellow . The sun seems to make everything in that chromaticity just glow . Here that is exemplify by the intensity of the dogwood tree foliage , which is contrasted brilliantly by the glowering purple and shocking pink aster .

1 . Zebra grass(Miscanthus sinensis*‘Zebrinus ’ , Zones 5–9 )

2 . ‘ Morning Light ’ maiden grass(Miscanthus sinensis*‘Morning Light ’ , Zones 5–9 )

3 . ‘ Midwinter Fire ’ bloodtwig dogwood(Cornus sanguinea‘Midwinter Fire ’ , Zones 4–7 )

4 . ‘ Violet Queen ’ Italian aster(Aster amellus‘Violet Queen ’ , Zones 5–8 )

5 . ‘ September Ruby ’ New England aster(Symphyotrichum novae - angliae‘September Ruby ’ , Zones 4–8 )

Stars That Add Major Fall Impact

Even if you do n’t have way for a lot of plants that save their best for autumn , by total just one of the plants below you ’ll increase the showiness of your landscape .

1. ‘Firedance’ persicaria

( Persicaria amplexicaulis‘Firedance ’ )

Zones:5–8

Size:3 foot tall and 5 feet wide

condition : Full sun to fond shade ; moist , well - drained soil

2. American cranberry bush

( Viburnum opulusvar.americanum‘Hahs ’ )

Zones:2–7

Size:6–8 feet tall and across-the-board

Conditions : Full sun to fond shade ; well - drain stain

3. ‘Red Head’ fountain grass

( Pennisetum alopecuroides‘Red Head ’ )

Zones:5–9

Size:3feet tall and wide

condition : Full sun ; well - drain soil

4. ‘Königin Charlotte’ Japanese anemone

( Anemone×hybrida‘Königin Charlotte ’ )

Size:2–3 feet marvelous and wide

condition : Partial shade ; moist , well - drained filth

5. ‘Arnold Promise’ witch hazel

( Hamamelis×intermedia‘Arnold Promise ’ )

Size:12–15 foot tall and all-embracing

6. ‘Jindai’ Tatarian aster

( Aster tataricus‘Jindai ’ )

Zones:4–8

Size:3–4 feet tall and wide

7. ‘Fireworks’ goldenrod

( Solidago rugosa‘Fireworks ’ )

Size:36–48 inchestall and panoptic

8. ‘Venus’ chrysanthemum

( Chrysanthemum‘Venus ’ )

Zones:4–9

Size:18–36 in grandiloquent and wide

condition : Full sunshine ; moist , well - enfeeble soil

9. Pink Diamond panicle hydrangea

( Hydrangea paniculata‘Interhydia ’ )

Size:8–15 metrical foot magniloquent and wide

picture : Richard Bloom / gapphotos.com ; Greg Ryan / Alamy Stock Photo ; Friedrich Strauss / gapphotos.com ; Mark Bolton / gapphotos.com ; Virginia Small ; Brandi Spade ; Jennifer Benner ; Nancy J. Ondra

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‘Firedance’ persicaria

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