1 of 4
2 of 4
3 of 4
4 of 4
by Derek Fell
Bucks County gardeners are fortunate to have a wide variety of deciduous trees and shrubs that not only produce vibrant rustic colors as their leaves drop but also produce generous berry displays as a bonus. Add to this beautiful bark colors as a bonus and the effect can be as brilliant as any flower garden. In particular I recommend new varieties of winterberry (Ilex verticilata), a deciduous holly that drops its leaves early to expose branches laden with neo-red berries well into the New Year, providing a feast of edible berries for song birds like cardinals and bluebirds to survive winter. Heavily browsed by deer in the wild, I like to see it planted as a hedge, although one male must be planted among six females to obtain a generous berry display.
Also stunning as a hedge is the burning bush (Euonymus alata,) turning to scarlet in the autumn. I have a colony planted near a bridge colored barn red and effect in autumn is stunning.
A strong favorite for autumn color is the Japanese maple (Acer japonica) in all its various forms, from the billowing ‘Bloodgood’ with purple leaves and scarlet fall foliage even into November at my home, Cedaridge Farm. I also like the slower growing variety named ‘Waterfall’ which turns bright orange in fall and which I like to see cascading into water, such as a stream or pond. There is also a variety called the ‘Coral Bark’ maple that not only produces a charming autumn leaf display, but also pink branches that create n ornamental effect when the leaves drop. For autumn bark display I also like the ‘Heritage’ birch river birch which grows along Bucks County stream banks.
Of course, every autumn garden should include a few flowers tucked here and there. Crocus-like Colchicum should be planted as bulbs in spring to produce clumps of fleshy leaves in summer that will flower on bare stems in October. The variety ‘Waterlily’ is a personal favorite. Bucks County has numerous nurseries that specialize only in cushion chrysanthemums at bargain prices. I especially like the bronze, yellow and red varieties as these colors blend in well with the colors of autumn. I once bought 300 for a mass planting to replace summer annuals, and the effect was arresting.
Remember that a killing frost can come as early as the end of September and the beginning of October, allowing dahlias to finish the season in a riot of color. The so-called ‘Dinnerplate’ varieties can be notoriously late flowering, and available as cactus-flowered - with quilled petals or decorative - with round petals. By fall they generally need staking, and if frost threatens to kill the display, pick as many as possible for striking indoor arrangements. Dahlias are mostly planted in the spring from tubers that look like potatoes. There are usually several fat tubers attached to each other. These can be separated or laid out like an octopus for planting together about three inches below the soil line. A long blooming variety is the ‘Knight’ series which is ever-blooming all summer in red, yellow, orange and purple, all with purple foliage.
Many kinds of ornamental grasses go well with dahlias, including the various kinds of maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) with their silvery or orange flower plumes held high above the arching, slender leaves. But for edging I would choose muely grass because its candy floss pink flowers are borne in vast quantities. These are best planted in spring from divisions, giving plants time to mature for a blaze of autumn color. Alternate a planting of muely grass with a plant of ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum. Forming a cushion, the flowers dry to a brick red and remain decorative for a long period, even after heavy frost. As a bonus the flowers will attract hoards of butterflies. For a taller accent I like the Japanese anemone in white or pink. The plants branch heavily and are good for cutting, producing flowers several times larger than spring anemones.
Derek Fell (1939-2019) is remembered as one of the world’s best most well-known and respected writers. During a career of more than 50 years as a garden writer, Derek Fell has authored more than a hundred garden books and calendars. He has written the Avant Garden department for Bucks County Magazine for the last seven years.