We usually connect gardens to spring, we associate them with colors, flowers and plenty of green …
But although seasons are becoming less defined, we still get a spectacular display during the year: fall.

This time of the year plants fall asleep, as a defense mechanism and energy saving for spring, this way the warm colors as well as the falling of the leaves, a magnificent part of the plant life cycle, really cheer up our daily life.

You might hesitate when choosing deciduous plants which lose leaves during fall, but they are responsible for this beautiful setting, and a carpet of fallen leaves doesn’t have to go to waste; after being a beautiful carpet it can be added to your organic compost and you’ll have good fertilizer to use in that same garden.

Here’s a list of plants that enhance this beautiful warm color palette:

Virginia creeper (Partinocissus quinquefolia) – Nobody stands indifferent to those façades covered by green vines that come alive with multiple colors in fall. The virginia creeper is the main responsible for this magnificent effect.

Snowy mespilus (Amelanchier ovalis) – An autochthonous shrub with a beautiful branched crown, its leaves are orange-colored in fall.

Palmate maple (Acer palmatum) – One of the most luxuriant plants of the Acer family, at this time of year its intense red leaves take the stage.

The following trees can grow quite tall, but if you have enough space in the garden, don’t think twice, they are wonderful.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) – A beautiful tree with many uses in traditional medicine, Ginkgo has a characteristic crown, as well as its green leaves that become perfectly yellow in fall.

Winter orange (Tília cordata) – A common sight at the park, its leaves become completely yellow at this time of year

Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) – A North American tree whose flowers resemble tulips, its leaves have a deep yellow in fall.

London Plane Tree (Platanus acerifolia) – Another common sight in European cities, a very strong tree whose trunk and leaves are quite interesting.

American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) – One of the most exuberant trees in fall, the color of its leaves changes during their entire cycle. From green to yellow, orange to very dark red, an outdoor natural show.

Deciduous trees can create beautiful contrasting gardens when combined with evergreen trees, giving us the chance to feel and experience the different seasons of the year.

Enjoy this fall…

Amália Souto de Miranda
Landscape Architect