Improve your Autumn Garden with Four Fall Focused Design Tips

When colorful bits start falling from the sky – and everything on the ground starts to shrivel, it makes sense that you might need to strategize on how to make the most of the autumn garden season.

My autumnal garden is covered in the first shed of yellow pine needles that precede the big leaf drops. A mow right after a needle drop is one of the most satisfying of the year. The contrast in color and texture is never better than when crisp turf green is set against beds that are quickly dismantling themselves.

Frost is still at least a week or more away (in New England) but have you thought about designing your garden specifically to revel in the joy of fall?

A winter garden scene featuring frost-covered plants and shrubs evokes a serene transition from an autumn garden. Ornamental grasses and sedum line a stone pathway leading to a metal sculpture with circular designs, while a red brick wall and leafless trees form the backdrop. — As summer fades into autumn, your garden undergoes a beautiful transition. Embrace the changing colors and cooler temperatures by planting fall-blooming flowers (mums and pansies are the basics – but there are many others too). Add seasonal décor like pumpkins and gourds to create a cozy atmosphere. Don’t forget to tidy up summer plants and prepare for winter ahead. *This is the beautiful Rill Garden in the autumn at Stretton Old Hall as photographed by head gardener, Stephen @stephenthegardener (on instagram)*

Here are some tips for fall-focused garden design:

1) Make sure you have lots of texture (you won’t have blooms to rely on for interest).

At any time of the year, a focus on varying textures will give you lots of interesting things for your eye to take in.

Autumn’s backyard garden changes faster than a spring flourish. An overnight cold snap can turn luscious leaves into mush piles in a matter of hours. In our neck of the woods, the green of summer often switches to yellows within a day.

You can feel the life being sucked down into the earth for protection. As this happens, the architecture of planting schemes quickly crashes in on themselves.

>>>Read Also: Fresh Design Ideas for fall flowers and Autumn Garden Decor

A vibrant autumn garden with yellow flowers and green foliage in the foreground, set against a historic stone building and a tall tree with dark leaves. The scene captures a blend of nature and architecture on a sunny day. — And autumnal planting in Paris. Image by Cristian Bortes www.eyeem.com/bortescristian.

2) Plants should have varied shapes as well.

(notice the vase shape of the sedum in contrast to the rounded boxwood and low mounds of the grasses. There is also a rectangular backdrop wall and square cut yews.⠀

3) Place art so that it can be highlighted by the plants and other things around it.

Like in a gallery – the great paint job on the wall, the positioning, and the frame are always as carefully and artfully chosen as the work itself.

>>>Read about another great garden that uses lots of great textures and frames: Inspired by jardinsurlaseine’s garden of textures in Paris

A glass conservatory stands in the background surrounded by a vibrant autumn garden. The foreground features ornamental grasses, while colorful flowers in reds, yellows, and purples form intricate patterns on the lush green lawn. — image by Bill Vriesema

4) Know your region’s typical fall weather.

Do you regularly get hoar frost (like in this pic) that will sprinkle sparky crystals over your plant skeletons, or (like in my garden) will wind and snow smash dainty stems and so I need to rely more on colorful leaves, branches and solid evergreens. Or if you live frost-free, you will need to focus on cool season bloomers.

>>>Worth a read: How to Plan for beautiful Frost in your Garden Design

I am pretty sure the piece of art in the top image was originally in Andy Sturgeon’s 2012 Show Garden at Chelsea. Check out the garden on his website and see if you agree.