Fall gardening tips to strengthen plants for cooler weather

Fall can be a surprise when it arrives, but planning for the seasonal transition can keep the garden looking great until frost.

Most gardeners can show their success by battling the summer temperatures, sometimes watering twice daily to keep the plants alive. As summer blooms fade, cooler temperatures allow for a new palette of plants to be added to give one last show of vibrant color for the fall.

Other plants have waited through the seasons to show their best quality of fall color and prove why they were selected as cultivars or plants bred for specific characteristics.

With all the choices of plants, focus on the desired effect. Fall foliage is always a focus from the ground covers to the trees. Fall-blooming shrubs keep pollinators productive late in the season.

Finally, research the requirements and culture of all the plants chosen to grow for the provided location

Consider these plant cultivars to transition into fall:

• Autumn gold ginko is a cultivar with a broad, symmetrical form.
• Gro-Low sumac has a low wide-spreading habit that can quickly reach higher than a ground cover.
• Golden weeping willow is outstanding for its yellow color and drooping form.
• Quick Fire hydrangea has excellent fall color with blooms turning red and leaves turning gold and burgundy.
• Pee Wee oak leaf hydrangea is pleasing throughout the seasons, especially with nice foliage in the fall.
• Wildfire tupelo or blackgum has a yellow-orange to purple-red fall color.
• Moraine sweetgum is cold hardy and has excellent red fall color.
• Scarlet oak is native to a few counties in Illinois with scarlet leaves in the fall.
• Black-haw viburnum is adaptable to most sites, and its leathery leaves turn yellow to red in fall.
• Ornamental kale ‘Black Tuscan’, ‘Meadowlark’, and ‘Prizm’ are a few decorative cultivars to choose from.
• Purple beautyberry is rounded with abundant, violet-blue berries.

For information, visit go.illinois.edu/ExtensionOffice.