Autumn is a wonderful time here at Gertens. Employees get to breath a little and really start enjoying all the awesome plant material on the lot. I love taking a walk around the shrub and perennial lots, looking at the great displays, and seeing new plants and combinations that I can use in my designs and my yard.
My latest favorite is the front display that pairs Caramel Coral Bells with the burgundy Obsidian Coral Bells and the blue Little Bluestem grass. I love colored foliage, and the Caramel Coral Bell has a great orange & purple hue to it. The play off the orange, burgundy, & blue is fabulous. I try to always incorporate some foliage play in my designs as well as in my yard. This helps bring more color into your beds, even when things are not blooming.
At my house, we planted a Tiger Eye Sumac as a focal point near our back stone path. The area is west facing, but an ash tree gives it some afternoon shade. The sumac is more chartreuse then the golden it would be in the hot sun, but this softer color plays really well with the blue Hosta and burgundy Coral Bells planted around it. We just planted the area & I can’t wait for it to fill in. I’m contemplating adding some Carmel Coral Bells to complement the other plants. Feel free to let us know what you think. Either way, I am delighted to look out my kitchen window and see color even when there aren’t flowers in bloom!
Megan Aune
Landscape Designer