Every year as summer winds down, we feel a familiar sense of disappointment as we prepare ourselves for cooler weather and a less vibrant color palette in the garden. But don’t despair! Fall holds its own special kind of magic, and we have some great tips for adding color to your late-summer garden.
If late-summer color and early-fall interest is what you’re wanting, there are plenty of plants that can best serve your purpose. The key is choosing plants that either bloom late in the season or don an attractive fall hue. Here are a few of our suggested plants:
Sweetspire: This shrub gets its name from the sweet-smelling white flowers it produces all summer long. In the fall, after the flowers are spent, and the weather begins to cool, sweetspire foliage turns a beautiful crimson color that immediately livens up your late-season garden.
Oakleaf Hydrangea: This stunning shrub produces showy white-to-pink flowers during the summer, which look gorgeous against the uniquely shaped leaves that resemble—you guessed it—the leaves of an oak tree! In the fall, these stunning leaves turn maroon or burgundy-red, providing fantastic foliage color.
Evening Primrose: The delicate yellow flowers of evening primrose delight gardeners with their blooms starting in late summer and continuing into the fall. The dropping temperatures are certainly more enjoyable when you have something this pretty to look at!
Coneflower: A classic fall garden staple, coneflowers come in all sorts of colors and bloom well into the fall. Aside from the flowers, the foliage of many coneflower varieties also provides attractive fall colors such as yellow or brass.
You can make many great décor additions to your garden that will boost the color factor in the fall. As a good rule of thumb, it’s wise to keep in mind the typical fall colors—yellow, red, and orange—and choose décor in a complementary color. For example, red pairs nicely with green, yellow with purple, and orange with blue. Here are some creative and colorful décor ideas to help get you started:
Perhaps you have an old, uncomfortable chair that’s been in the family for generations. You’d hate to throw it out, but it’s just one more thing collecting dust. Consider repurposing it into a garden statement piece! Paint the chair a bold color that will pop against the muted fall foliage providing an attractive focal point.
Painted Rock Garden
Creating a rock garden is a fun activity to do with the kids. Designate a spot in your garden that you’d like to add some fun color to and add your painted rock garden. The only limit is your imagination, plus you’ll gain priceless memories and timeless keepsakes.
Bird Feeders
There’s nothing better than multi-purpose décor! Hang sugar feeders for hummingbirds and seed feeders for other birds to attract various visitors to your garden. Making your own bird feeders can also turn into a fun DIY project by yourself or with the kids.
String Lights
String lights come in all kinds of funky colors, shapes, and sizes. There’s so much variety out there that you’ll be sure to find the perfect set to complement your specific style and taste—and add a pretty spotlight on your fall garden.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column_inner][/fusion_builder_row_inner][fusion_text rule_style="default" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" sticky_display="normal,sticky"]
We mentioned bird feeders earlier, and that’s because Arkansas is home to a plethora of brightly-colored birds whose plumage will add color to your garden while also giving you something to admire!
Add garden features that will attract birds to your homes, such as birdbaths and bird feeders. Planting certain seed-bearing perennials such as coneflowers will also attract those feathered friends, making your garden a bird’s paradise during cooler months when food sources are dwindling. Here are a few of our favorite colorful Arkansas birds:
At Westwood Gardens, we’re here to help you achieve your gardening goals, no matter how big or small. Stop in for a visit and browse our colorful selection of stylish garden giftware, or pick out the perfect fall shrubs and late-blooming perennials to add to your garden.
