This fall, when planning your landscape designs think of these five Idiot Proof Plants for excellent multi-season color in the garden or landscape. Uncle's Idiot Proof shrubs have proven to be the most reliable, plants to use in your next landscape project. Woody shrubs can bring brilliant color to the fall season.
Burning Bush: Fire Ball a new Proven Winners introduction, has outstanding bright red fall foliage. Hardier than other varieties. Fire Ball is an improved selection of compact burning bush with tighter branching and superior hardiness.
Itea: Short N’ Sweet is a compact sweetspire. This deer-resistant plant is exceptionally hardy for the Midwest region growing to three feet tall and slightly wider. Best grown in full sun to part shade. Fragrant spires of tiny white flowers cover the shrub blooming in late spring to early summer. Oval green leaves turn shades of orange, red and purple in the fall, can be shaped and trimmed for foundations or borders.
Sumac: Tiger Eyes is a beautiful golden-leafed form of cut leaf staghorn sumac. New growth is a lively chartreuse green, quickly changing to yellow with both colors contrasting nicely with the rosy-pink leaf stems. As magnificent as the summer colors are, the dramatic effect of yellow, orange and intense scarlet in autumn are unparalleled.
Gro-Lo Fragrant sumac is excellent for slopes and banks. Reaching only three feet high and six feet wide. Both tolerating poorly drained soils as well as very dry soil.
Viburnum: Uncle's favorite Idiot Proof Plant. Many good varieties, just too many to list. A few of our most popular are the Juddi, Leatherleaf, Double-File, Eastern Snowball and Korean Spice. You can find a viburnum in all shapes and sizes to fit almost any growing conditions. Most varieties will have fragrant spring blooms in white or pink tones.
Dwarf viburnum varieties are available; however, the most common viburnum varieties will average 6'-8' high and wide. Select varieties will have a profusion of berries in fall changing to colors from flaming red, orange and purple.
Hydrangea: Many excellent varieties of hydrangea provide color in the fall. Dark green foliage turning an outstanding brick red. Bold, fragrant flowers of white, pink or blue at the ends of the branches bloom from early to mid-summer.
The spectacular red fall color makes the Oakleaf Hydrangea or Proven Winners Twist N’ Shout perfect choices for a garden or mass planting.
Fall is the perfect season for new shrub and tree installations. Plants suffer less transplant shock when planted in fall. The best plant selections for fall landscapes is available now at Grass Pad nurseries. Truckloads of fresh nursery stock arrive daily. Come on down to the Grass Pad and bring your measurements, our experienced nursery staff can help you find the right plant to fit your landscape.
