I just finished The Winter Army by Maurice Isserman. The Winter Army is a short, but informative, account about the formation and the battles of the 1oth Mountain division during World War 2.
I’ll admit that, in spite of my fascination with the history of WW2, I had never really paid much attention to the feats of the 10th Mountain. That’s because, in spite of their great publicity and actual heroics, the 10th Mountain didn’t really have much impact on the outcome of the war.
However, my interest was piqued when I started working at a local bicycle shop, and found out that the store manager was the son of a man who had served with the 10th during the war. In fact, his father is mentioned prominently several times in this book.
The idea for the formation of “skiing troops” was initially conceived by a group of American civilians who were inspired by Finnish ski soldiers. The Finnish army resisted an invasion by the Red Army by launching hit and run attacks while on cross-country skis. These patriotic Americans, fearing that should Britain fall the United States might be invaded, took their idea of ski-troops to the U.S. Army.
Anybody who has ever served in the United States military already knows what the Army’s answer was: No thanks, and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
But thanks to their connections and their determination, this group of patriotic Americans eventually persevered and the 10th Mountain was born.
The book itself is slow going at first, because there is such an emphasis on the ski training that the troops received. Which I guess makes sense, because that was what the type of training the Division focused on. But the details can get a little eye-glazing.
After 3 years of training at various bases around the United States (the most famous being Camp Hale in Colorado), the 10th Mountain finally deployed to Italy in late winter of 1945. And that is when the book really takes off.
If you are a WWII history buff, this book is definitely worth checking into.
In the fall of 2019 I was going to write a post about the importance of selecting trees and shrubs for autumn foliage. The point of the post I was going to write was that in spite of what you may have heard or read, there is nothing absolutely nothing wrong with selecting trees and shrubs for their autumnal color.
Over the years I have read numerous articles that have baldly stated that you should NEVER select trees and shrubs bases solely their potential fall display. The reason being that there are far too many variables beyond the gardener’s control that can greatly affect the quality of the autumn display. A wet and cool summer can delay the change in leaf color by a week or more, whereas a hot and dry summer can cause the change to start weeks earlier than normal.
Cloudy autumn days and how cold the autumn nights get can also change how intense the colors get.
And, of course, a severe storm can roll through can strip the trees bare before they have reached their peak colors.
The only thing that actually is in the gardener’s control is to select trees and shrubs that are genetically hardwired for good fall color, and to plant them in a spot where the conditions are the most conducive for producing said color (i.e. in a sheltered spot that gets plenty of sun).
Rubbish!, said I
I was going to make the argument that such concerns are pure poppycock. After all, spring weather can lay waste to many spring flowers in an instant, but I have never read an article recommending not planting something like a lilac bush, as an example, just because a spring cold snap might destroy its blooms.
I used a lilac bush as an example on purpose. It blooms for about a week and then it is finished for the year. While it’s an reasonably attractive shrub during much of the growing season, when it is not in bloom it turns a proverbial wallflower. It does not have two or more seasons of interest: no berries in the summer, no fall colors in autumn, no architectural interest in winter. So if a spring snowstorm zaps the spring flower display, the show is over.
Oops…
Unfortunately for me, the weather during the autumn of 2019 kind of proved that the conventional wisdom was right. Here in Colorado the month of September was warmer than average, and the heat lingered well into October. Finally, in mid-October, the temperatures fell to more seasonal levels. The trees and shrubs were just beginning to display their autumn finery.
Then disaster struck: an arctic cold front blasted through the eastern part of the state, dropping temperatures down to almost single digits overnight. By the next day the leaves on the trees turned brown and started falling off. Within a couple of days most of the trees and shrubs along the Front Range were completely denuded of their leaves. The show was cancelled for the year
I stand by my contention (with a few provisos)
Ok, so it turns out that there are indeed potential downsides to picking large woody plants based solely on their autumn foliage. Still, I stand by my contention that there is nothing wrong with choosing plants for fall color, just as long as these plants offer multi-seasons of interest.
The term “multi-seasons of interest” refers to a plant that has attributes that make it stand out in two or more seasons. For example, chokeberry trees (aronia) produce a profusion of white flowers in spring, followed by red or black berries in late summer, and then finish out the growing season with an intense autumnal display.
So, when choosing large plants such as trees and shrubs, I still say that it’s alright to pick them based on their autumn display as long as they have other qualities that meet your landscaping needs.
For good autumn color, pay attention to your conditions
I live in a USDA zone 5 (Help | USDA Hardiness Zones) high prairie garden, one that receives less than 18 inches of moisture a year. My soil is also very clayey and leans to the alkaline side of the PH scale. Which means I need to be very selective about which trees and shrubs I plant in my yard. I once had an Amur Maple that is supposed to thrive in Colorado, but succumbed to chlorosis (lack of iron) because my soil is so alkaline it couldn’t readily access the iron in the soil.
Trees and shrubs that grow in in the West all tend to have yellow fall color. Apparently, this is a reaction to the alkaline soils that are so prevalent out here. So finding trees that produce good red or orange fall colors is a bit of a challenge. But they are available.
One further point: when shopping for trees and shrubs for thier autumn color, I would wait until the plants are starting to turn. For one thing, this will give you an idea of the quality of the their fall finery. Plus, nurseries and big-box stores usually put their inventory on sale in late summer and early fall, saving you a great deal of money (the downside of waiting is that the selection may be a bit picked over).
Finally, early autumn is the best time of the year to plant trees and shrubs. The air is cool, yet the soil is still warm. These conditions help reduce transplant shock, and allow the plants to establish roots before the really cold weather arrives.
What works in my landscape
So let’s see what plants provide good fall color in my landscape.
First up, I have two Honeylocust trees in my yard, one in the front and one in the back. While these Honeylocusts certainly don’t have multi-seasons of interest, they do provide plenty of dappled shade, the kind of shade that allows plants underneath them to thrive while still providing relief from the sun for the over-heated gardener. This alone makes them worthy trees.
Honeylocusts are relatively drought tolerant with few pest or disease problems I recommend selecting the thornless variety, as the thorns on Honeylocusts can be quite nasty. If you want to cut down on autumn clean-up, I suggest the seedpod-less varieties as well.
Both honeylocusts turn bright yellow in autumn.
Honeylocust swaying in a crisp autumn breeze
Next up in my Eastern Redbud. This tree is a North American native, and even though it hails from the eastern portion of the continent, it is surprisingly drought tolerant. Its golden-yellow foliage tends to appear a little earlier in the season than the honeylocust.
Eastern Redbud brightening up a stormy autumn afternoon.
My next autumn performer is this ‘Standing Ovation’ serviceberry. This has only been in my landscape for a couple of years, so it is still just pup. This variety of serviceberry grows 12-15 feet tall but only 4 feet wide. It too turns yellow in the fall.
Serviceberry ‘Standing Ovation’
Now to the reds and oranges.
I have two native Bigtooth maples in my yards, also one in the front and one in the back. I think these Big-tooth Maples (acer Granditatum) are my favorite large woody plants. While their flowers are insignificant, they provide year-round architectural interest and the one in the back provides shade for the patio.
Bigtooth maples are a good understory tree, and only get to about 15-25 feet tall. As you can see, their leaves transform into an intense orange color in autumn.
Bigtooth Maple (and no, this picture is not filtered)
This next shrub is called Peking Cotoneaster, and I’ll admit I’m a little conflicted about it. As you can see, it too produces good orange autumn color. Unfortunately, that’s about all it does. It’s flowers are inconspicuous, and while it does set dark blue berries in early fall, the birds consume them so fast that I rarely ever see them.
It also has no architectural interest. In fact, it’s more of a tangled mess, which you can see in the picture below this one. It can reach 10-12 feet tall and wide. I cut back and moved this one to it current location a few years ago because it outgrew its old location. I suppose I could just chop it back to the ground in the spring to keep it in check, but the fact it only is interesting for a week or two in the fall is making me ponder replacing it.
Peking cotoneaster
Below is what this cotoneaster looks like when fully mature. For a couple of weeks out of the year, it truly is glorious!
(If you look on the right side of the picture, about halfway down, you can see a few remaining berries that the birds somehow missed).
A mature Peking cotoneaster
I planted this black chokeberry (aronia ‘Low Scape Mound’) last summer, so it too is just a youngling. But even in its first year in my garden it was already showcasing its bright red autumn finery.
Chokeberry ‘Low Scape Mound’
Below is a Blue Mist Spirea’s. While this spirea (which actually isn’t a spirea at all) is known more for its bright blue flowers that appear in late summer, its foliage also provides some yellow color in autumn. While I certainly wouldn’t call it intense, nevertheless, it is still a beautiful addition to the autumn border.
Yellow leaves on Blue Mist Spirea
Ornamental grasses can also provide good autumn color. Below is ‘Shenandoah’ switchgrass mingling with sedums and a Blue Spruce.
Colorful foliage of switchgrass
Below is a picture that will look familiar to you if you read part 2 of this series. I included it again because this time I want to focus on the colors of the changing foliage instead of the seed heads.
The giant miscanthus is only starting to change to its yellow-tan color, but the grass just to its left (I think it’s a different variety of switchgrass, but I’m really not sure) has turned to a muted orange color. Looks good together, don’t you think?
Ornamental grass autumnal foliage
Perennials can sometimes provide autumn foliage as well. While they cannot possible compete with the enormous display put on by large trees and shrubs, they still can provide an understated addition to the seasonal fireworks.
Here we have the leaves of a plumbago turning a nice russet color in mid-autumn.
Even some Hostas can get into the act. These Hostas that I salvaged last year and put in a whiskey barrel are starting to turn to a buttery yellow color.
The Himalayan Fleeceflower, a tough and drought tolerant ground cover, turns a fiery red in autumn.
Finally:
Do not EVER plant this tree along the Front Range!
There is one tree that should NEVER be planted along the Front Range, and that is the aspen tree. For reasons lost to the mists of time, sometime in the 1980’s people decided to plant aspens down here on the lowlands. I strongly suspect that the tree’s famous fall color was the driving reason why.
Here’s the thing though: aspen trees do not thrive on the prairie. That is the domain of their cousins, the cottonwoods. It is far too hot and dry on the plains for aspens. Even in the mountains aspens predominantly colonize on the cooler and wetter northern and eastern slopes, rather than hotter and drier western and southern faces. Life on the western plains is, for all intents and purposes, one of the rings of hell for this poor tree.
Due to stress they are afflicted with diseases and insect damage, and so their lifespan here along the front range is usually less than 20 years. And while in some years their fall color can be decent, most years they just turn a muddy yellow. The temps start cooling off much earlier in the mountains, and it tends to get much colder at night than here on the plains, creating conditions conducive for their outstanding fall color. Down here in the lowlands, temperatures drop much later and the nights don’t start getting truly cold until almost the end of October, less than optimal conditions for good color.
Planning for an autumn display in the garden takes a little bit of work, but it’s well worth it. It finishes of the season with a bang, and extends the growing season by several weeks.
One final suggestion: I would recommend clustering your fall blooming perennials together in one location rather than scattering them throughout the garden. This will ensure that your autumn display will stand out in all its glory.
What trees, shrubs or plants would you recommend for an outstanding autumn garden?
In part 2 of my “Planning for autumn color”, I will discuss some of the plants that have succeeded (and a few that haven’t) in providing autumn blooms in my ColoradoFront Range garden.In part 1, I discussed why creating an autumn garden was so important to me (see here: Planning for autumn color (Part 1): prologue (mrvintageman.com)).
I know that a post about autumn color when spring has just arrived might seem a little odd. But to have a garden that shines in fall requires some planning and forethought, and spring is the perfect time to do so.
“Monch” asters and blanket flowers, both of which are late summer bloomers, still going strong in early autumn.
When we think of autumn color, I am sure most of us picture in our minds a tree garbed in it’s fall finest. After all, what can compare to a towering plant that reaches 40-70 feet tall all swathed in colors or yellow, red or purple?
Yet, it is when we lower our eyes to ground by our feet that we can discover the more intimate side of the fall display. The color on trees and shrubs can be somewhat fickle and unreliable, some years being underwhelming. This is because the display is wholly dependent on conditions that are beyond the gardener’s control. The autumn bloomers, on the other hand, are reliable old friends who reward us year after year.
Late summer blooms
First, let’s begin with the late summer bloomers that often carry over into early autumn. Peak bloom on these plants is usually several weeks before the autumn equinox, but they often keep going strong (if a little raggedy) into late September, and in some years all the way into early October.
For example, Black-eyed Susan’s usually begin flowering in mid-to-late July in my yard and usually hit their peak sometime in late August. But as you can see below, they often still look good in early fall. In the picture below, taken in early September, the Black-eyed Susan “Goldsturm” is happily blooming among fall flowering Asters.
Yellow Black-eyed Susan’s signal the end of summer, while the deep blue asters herald the arrival of autumn.
Below we find Jupiter’s Beard (centranthus ruber) blooming in mid-September. Jupiter’s Beard is primarily an early to mid-summer bloomer, but will often put on a second display in very late summer, even without deadheading.
Jupiter’s Beard putting in a late summer display.
Finally, we come to Russian Sage, a plant that seems to bloom up to 3 months for me. This picture was taken in early October, but these sages started bloom way back in early July! As you can see, the sage harmonizes quite nicely with the aptly named Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’.
Purple flowers of Russian Sage mingling with Sedum “Autumn Joy” in early October
Now, let’s talk some of my autumn All-Stars:
Asters
Literally all-stars, at least in aster’s case: for aster means ‘star’ in Latin. If there is one flower that is synonymous with autumn, asters must be it. While most states have native asters, the ones from New York and New England tend to get all the PR. For good reason. They are upright and hardy plants who, in the right conditions, can put on a display from very late summer right up until the first hard freeze.
I would say that asters are among my favorite plants, and I have them mixed in with almost every single border in my yarden.
‘Raydon’s Favorite’ aster mingling with ‘Autumn Joy’ Sedum, with Russian Sage provide a backdrop to both.More ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ growing amongst ‘Powis Castle” artemisia and the faded flowers of yarrow ‘Coronation Gold”.‘October Skies’ aster put on a fall fireworks finale along with ‘Blue Oat’ grass and fiery reds of a hummingbird mint (Agastache).‘Purple Dome” aster, a dwarf that only gets to about 18 inches tall, blooms in front of more ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum and the yellowing foliage of “Zebra” maiden grass.
Sedums
Another good fall bloomer in my yard are the upright sedums, such as sedum ‘Autumn Joy and sedum ‘Autumn Fire’.
Upright sedums in my area begin producing green “puffballs” usually in mid-August. The tiny flowers themselves don’t open up until September. These flowers initially start off with a pinkish hue (such as you see below), but as the autumn nights get colder they grow darker and redder.
It’s not just the flowers that provide some autumnal fireworks; if the really deep freezes hold off long enough, the succulent leaves of some upright sedums can turn to a golden yellow color.
Sedums of all heights and varieties are a big hit with pollinating insects.
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy” hosting several winged guests.Sedums in autumnal glory. Look just behind the sedums and you will see the blooms of a plant called salvia azurea.
Salvia
Look again at the picture above. While the sedums are rightfully the stars of this autumn display, there is a member of the supporting cast that has also taken to the stage. Right behind the sedums is a tall, lanky plant sporting flowers the color of blue autumn skies. This plant is salvia azurea, also known as Prairie Sage.
Prairie Sage is an unassuming plant most of the growing season. But in late summer it puts on quite a growth spurt, when it turns into a lanky plant that like to sprawl all over its neighbors. But that’s alright, for its blue flowers provide a cooling contrast to all the yellows, oranges and reds from the rest of the autumn fireworks.
Chrysanthemums
Another plant that is synonymous with autumn has to be chrysanthemums, or ‘mums’.
I’ll be honest, I haven’t had much success with mums. Oh, I do alright when I pick some up from a local nursery in late summer to put in my outdoor containers. They provide quick and easy fall color. The problem with these mum is that they have been bred and raised to display a profusion of blooms for just a single season. They are not hardy enough to survive the winter, either in the pot or in the ground. I have nursed a few along for year or so, but they eventually disappear.
For a mum that comes back year after year, the gardener needs to plant “hardy” mums. I’ve been put off by these kinds of mums because I have read they require lots of moisture, something sorely lacking in my neck of the woods, as well as lots of TLC.
However, I have researched garden catalogs, and may have found a few that might tolerate the conditions in my garden, so I might give them a try this year. If so, I will provide an update on how they are doing in the fall.
Ornamental grasses
It’s not just flowers that provide blooms in autumn. Ornamental grass “flowers”, known as ‘inflorescences’, add a stately presence to the garden. While inflorescences are rarely colorful (since grasses don’t need bugs or birds to pollinate them), they are still welcome additions to the autumn garden.
Dwarf Miscanthus plumes contrast with the red flowers of ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum and garden mum.Another, albeit large, Miscanthus putting on a display in the driveway border.
Others
Japanese Anemone is a fall blooming plant that used to do well in my garden. Planted next to the front stoop, it got moisture from the sprinkler system, and enough sunlight to bloom profusely.
Unfortunately (for it), the honeylocust tree in my front yard has grown large enough to block enough light reaching it. I’m going to transplant it somewhere in the backyard later this spring in hopes of reviving it.
My Japanese Anemone last autumn. It’s the large leafed plant in the back. As you can see, it looks a little puny.
Below is a stock photo of what the flower should look like:
Below is a North American native, the Agastache ‘Sonoran Sunrise’. Once it matures it should reach three feet tall and wide, and provide a plethora of purple & orange blooms you see here.
Agastaches are generally very tough and drought tolerant.
Another fall blooming native perennial that does well in my garden is Rabbitbrush. Also known as ‘Chamisa’, it populates open fields throughout much of the American West. I didn’t plant any in my yard, they self-seeded themselves from the nearby fields. I left them because they look awesome mixed in with my other drought tolerant plants.
Here you can see its cheerful yellow flower mingling with Russian Sage, ornamental oregano and ‘Karl Foerster’ ornamental grasses.
Nothing says autumn in the American West quite like a Chamisa in bloom.
Finally, we come to one of my favorite groundcovers, the Plumbago. The cobalt blue flowers appear in late August and usually linger well into October. As an added bonus, the leaves turn bright red and orange as the nights start to cool off.
So there are some of the fall bloomers that have done well in my high prairie Zone 5 garden. In my next post, I will make suggestions on selecting trees and shrubs for colorful autumn foliage, as well as the pros and cons of doing so.
