November 11, 2008

Fall Is a Many Splendored Thing

a fothergilla glows in the sunlight

Fall 2008 has been one of the best I can remember for fall color. As a Master Gardener I know that there is a scientific explanation involved in the color change in the leaves. For me, personally, the color change is one of nature’s greatest spectacles. A daily walk around the garden makes me think I am watching a work of art in progress as I see not only a range of colors – different reds, oranges, and yellows—but also variations in the colors themselves. Each day brings a new shade to a particular plant. Riding along the interstate this time of the year becomes a treat as the hillside resembles a painting with the colors of fall blending into each other. A neighborhood tree with vibrant oranges and yellows framed against a bright blue sky is a traffic stopper.  This brilliant fall show (and the knowledge that I will be soon be raking up all those wonderful leaves) makes me wish that the colors will never fade.

One of the plants that consistently provides a vivid show is the fothergilla. I purchased this wonderful deciduous shrub in the spring many, many years ago with no knowledge of the special treat that the fall would bring. In the spring there is a sweet smelling white flower that blooms before the leaves come out. Fothergillas enjoy protection from the afternoon sun in the hottest climate zones and like moist, acid soil; the mature one in my yard is probably about seven or eight feet tall and almost as round. (There is a smaller fothergilla ‘Mount Airy” which grows only to 3 to 5 feet high and around.)

What a treat to look out the window each morning to watch the fothergilla change colors. If you plant one, place it where you can get a front row seat for the fall spectacular!