The gorgeous red, orange, and yellow pigments in fall foliage have been there all year but masked to our view as sunlight helps fuel plant cells containing chlorophyll, which gives leaves their vivid green color turning light into energy! When sunlight and daylength decrease in Autumn chlorophyll breaks down and plant’s colorful side shines through! Sunny days and cold nights bring out the best fall color in OctoberTannins, typically are found in oak trees, give leaves their distinctive dark color.Tannins make for a rich dark color to the foliage of oakleaf hydrangea shutting down for the winter season.Leathery foliage of Viburnum makes a great contrast against a blue skyRose Hips on Rosa rugosa rose hips and rose petals are edible. Roses are in the same family as apples and crab apples, which is why their fruits bear such a strong resemblance to those plants. Rose hips also have a bit of the tartness of crab apples and are a great source of vitamin C.Give plants like roses time to shut down for winter naturally. They can often still bloom all the way to Thanksgiving dayDon’t worry about “Tar Spot” on maple leaves. They formed due to wet weather probably all the way back in spring. Clean up foliage and compost.Trees experiencing some stress will color early and usually lose the top and perimeter leaves first (note the dry turf around the base and dripline)Fall is a great time for enjoying, planting or moving flowering shrubs in the landscape. This Fothergilla is showing off with vibrant colorJuneberry is one of those spring flowering trees that provide a bonus of rich fall colorTo create new flowerbeds for next year in current lawn areas cover the grass with newspaper, leaves and soil. The areas covered will “passive compost” killing the turf and creating a bed ready for planting next year.Use the nutrient and organic rich harvest of foliage for tilling into planting beds or for the compost pile. Fall used to be called just “harvest.” The full moon as we enter fall is known as a harvest moon. Before electricity or tractor spotlights the bright night of the harvest moon was essential for farmers harvesting their late-year crops.Japanese Maples put on a show in the fall sunlightFall is for fresh air, sight seeing and outdoor activities!One of the first to bloom in spring, Witchhazel foliage wraps up another growing season as the chlorophyll breaks down and the less dominant pigments of orange, yellow and red take center stage!
