Do you regularly ignore your garden during the fall and winter? Make a resolution to make a change this year. By choosing the right fall plants, you can keep your outdoor space looking vibrant and fresh even when the weather gets gloomy.
We’ve selected 10 plants to keep your yard looking colorful well into the fall.
1. Autumn crocus
The crocus is the ideal hardy plant for colder weather since the harsh autumn weather forces it up through the earth. Plant the recognizable cup-shaped flowers behind trees and shrubs, where they will be sheltered from heavy rain. They also look great in pots and borders.
Colchicum, or autumn crocus, blooms between September and October. The name “naked ladies” refers to the huge blooms’ unexpected appearance from bare dirt with no leaves. The twin, eye-catching flowers on Colchicum “Water lily” are pinkish-purple in colour.
2. Asters
With this jaw-dropping display, make sure your flower garden leaves a lasting impression. Plant in full light for the largest area of lavender blooms. The daisy-like flowers draw butterflies and deter deer.
The majority of asters, now known as Symphyotrichum, flower in the late summer and fall, adding much later color to borders. One of the better varieties, Symphyotrichum “Little Carlow,” produces bright, light purple flowers. To ensure the most flowering, position the plant in a bright, open area. Harden the pruning after flowering.
3. Snowy mespilus
Amelanchier trees are lovely, tiny trees that look lovely all year. The branches contain star-shaped blossoms as the coppery pink new leaves emerge in March. Dark red berries are strewn all through the trees in July. The yellowish-green leaves turn scarlet and crimson in the fall.
4. Crab apples
Of all the winter fruits, crab apples have the finest flavor and, along with their lovely spring blossoms, are extremely adaptable because of their variety of sizes. For a bigger area, you can take in the autumn fruit of rows of crab apples that are either scattered across a lawn or lined up along a drive. Malus “Red Jade” or M. toringo subs. Argentina is two examples of petite cultivars that are great for containers or smaller areas. The smaller crab apples are typically preferred by birds.
Crab apples have beautiful autumnal foliage and fruits. The orange-yellow leaves of Malus “Everest” are matched with red-flushed, orange-yellow fruits in the autumn. With a lovely conical shape, it’s a great tree for tiny gardens.
5. Cyclamen
One of my favorites personally the pink and white cyclamen blooms that cover a wooded floor make me smile for some reason. A resilient species of autumn-flowering C. hederifolium can endure the climate in the UK.
The enormous corms will be virtually at the soil’s surface throughout the summer, dormant until September, when the delicate flower heads on each one begin to bloom. Following it is lovely, patterned foliage that resembles ivy, providing interest for the majority of winter. Planting them beneath mature trees and shrubs helps to lighten darker areas because they thrive in dry shade.
6. Sternbergia lutea
A native of Greece and the eastern Mediterranean, Sternbergia lutea is an autumn-flowering bulb that bakes in the summer heat. Plant it in a warm, sunny location—ideally close to a heated wall—and protect it from the elements throughout the winter. Ensure enough drainage.
7. Judas tree or redbud
‘Forest Pansy’ Cercis canadensis is a mega tree with violet, heart-shaped leaves that turn a striking yellow in the fall. Before the new leaves emerge in the spring, its rich crimson, pink, or even white pea-like blossoms create a striking display. The Judas tree, Cercis siliquastrum, blooms magenta in the spring and has apple-green leaves that turn butter yellow in the fall.
8. Nerine
While Nerine bowdenii can be cultivated outside in a warm, bright border that is protected by a wall, the majority of nerines are delicate greenhouse bulbs. They’ll thank you with a late flower show that’s lipstick pink. Find more bulbs that bloom in the fall.
9. Virginia creeper
Chinese Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus Haryana, is less strong than other types and excellent for a southeast wall in a small garden. Its foliage is also more delicate, with a velvety texture and silvery-white veins; in the fall, it turns a blazing crimson.
10. Cotoneaster
Cotoneasters produce stunning displays of red berries in the fall. Its stems’ distinctive herringbone pattern is what makes Cotoneaster horizontalis so popular and useful when trained over the ground or against a wall.
As the editor of the blog, She curate insightful content that sparks curiosity and fosters learning. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, she strive to bring diverse perspectives and engaging narratives to readers, ensuring every piece informs, inspires, and enriches.
