Fall Plantings 101: The Best Way to Add Fall Colors to Your Backyard

The days are getting shorter, temps are getting cooler, and leaves are beginning to turn. Fall is here! That means it’s time to refresh your landscape design and plantings to invite in all of autumn’s rich, warm colors. If you’re like us, you simply can’t wait to celebrate the new season with a slew of new plants and designs. So check out these tips for making the most of the next few months—starting with the right fall plantings.

Fall Plantings That Bring the Color

When you think of fall, you might think of oranges, yellows and reds. But this season, we invite you to go all out by expanding your color palette to include crisp greens and earthy neutrals, too. Or add a little extra texture and depth with wooden furniture and accent pieces. The sky’s the limit, but here are some ideas to get you off the ground:

Step 1: Audit Your Autumn Plans

First things first: Figure out how you plan to spend your time outdoors this season. What do you enjoy doing when the weather gets chilly? Are you big into bonfires, or are you more of the backyard-tailgate-and-watch-party type? When you know what you want to get up to, it’s easy to determine which plantings will make sense in your space.

Step 2: Make Friends with Fall Foliage

OK, so you know you’re ready to freshen up your landscape for fall, but now comes the “hard” part… figuring out which plants help bring that fall vibe to life in your backyard! Lucky for you, it doesn’t have to be hard at all. Here are five of our favorite fall plants:

1. Echinacea — From midsummer through fall, this durable flower brings all your favorite shades of fall into your space, from orange to red to deep pink. Bonus: Echinacea attracts butterflies, which bring even more color to your backyard!
2. Rudbeckia — Think “scaled-back sunflower” when you think of Rudbeckia. This small, yellow-petaled flower has a brown center that looks right at home next to Echinacea and other fall foliage. Rudbeckia is often planted around the edge of gardens or cement paving, giving it a reputation as a great “border” flower.
3. Japanese Maple — It wouldn’t be fall without a nod to the iconic maple tree. Japanese Maple trees are smaller than the average tree, making them the perfect size for home gardens and outdoor living spaces. In the fall, their leaves turn to rich and vibrant shades of yellow and red. You won’t want to look away!
4. Heavenly Bamboo — This low-to-the-ground bush plant turns a bright, beautiful red around late-summer or early-fall and maintains its color through the winter.
5. Fall Grasses — Last, but not least (and definitely not the end of your options), consider tall fall grasses as the final touch to your seasonal landscape upgrade. From flame grass to switch grass in every color and shade, these thriving plants help fill in any open spaces while conjuring up images of cozy fall hayrides.

Step 3: Design Your Dream Landscape

The truth is, the beautiful plants and colorful flowers you enjoy throughout the summer may not survive the colder fall and winter months, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Consider this an opportunity to refresh and revitalize your landscaping. Now is the best time to make changes, plant new life and add all those must-have features you’ve been missing. And you don’t have to go it alone. Our experienced team is here to help bring the design of your dreams to life through the best fall plantings available.

Sit back, bundle up & enjoy

We’re always just a click or a phone call away. So, when you’re ready to say goodbye to summer (at least for this year), let’s talk. We’re passionate about helping you set up your outdoor space for each new season, and fall plantings are some of our favorites.