The Beauty of the Fall Garden

Sometimes it is hard to get excited about a garden that is no longer in bloom, especially if one is a new gardener or garden visitor. Fortunately, as we develop our garden skills we learn that there is an abundance of plants that lend beauty to the garden every season.

The adopt-a-plot gardens, in Ault Park where I garden, are pretty much closed for the season. I know for my garden plots I must add more winter interest. It is simply unacceptable to have so much garden space at this most popular park lacking fall and winter interest. Garden space is too valuable to allow large areas to become garden voids for five months of the year.

The Old Rose Garden, designed and maintained by the park, is still stunning. While many of the plants have been cut back as needed, the plants that remain provide structure, movement and lovely colors.

The fall garden, at least here in the Midwest, asks more from us. We will not be entertained with large blooms, expanses of vibrant colors weaving around a garden or the flutter of butterflies dancing about the plants we so carefully selected just for them.

The fall garden asks us to redefine what makes a garden beautiful. Instead of deep reds, we are presented with copper and bronze. Seed pods, some already absent the seeds they nurtured within, are our new flowers and grasses, trees with interesting bark take center stage.