Fall leaves suncatcher project for kids

Thanks to good rainfall and cooperative weather, we have been given the gift of a gloriously colorful fall this year.  Take some time out from your busy schedule to enjoy and preserve the fall bounty with your kids with this fun, easy project.

Fall Leaves Sun catcher

Beautiful fall color for your window!

You will need:

• Beautiful fall leaves.  The more colorful the better.
• Waxed paper
• Newspaper
• A towel or ironing board
• An iron

Cover work surface with newspapers.  If you have an ironing board, use that for your work surface, but if you don't, then spread a towel on a table to protect it from the heat.

Lay down a sheet of wax paper.

Arrange leaves on top of the waxed paper. Cover with another piece of wax paper. 

Place a piece of newspaper on top and iron with a warm iron until crayon shavings melt and the two sheets of wax paper sticks together. 

Trim and hang in the window.

It's not too late to plant!

Fall colors at Oak Ridge Shrubbery

Fall foliage viewed from our stoneyard

 Fall is for planting!  Woody shrubs and trees are the ideal candidates for fall plantings.  September and October are ideal months to plant, but you can still plant in November too.  Fall is an ideal time because we still have warm ground temperatures, but the air temps have dropped, which means less watering as well as less sweating.

Planting with soil amendments is the key to success in our clay soils.  Cow manure and soil conditioners are the answer to good plant nutrition and drainage.  Hole sizes need to be generous, at least twice as wide as the existing root ball (or pot) and one and a half times as deep.  You want to plant trees and shrubs 1/2"-3/4" high, meaning the grade of the plant (top of the root ball) needs to be slightly higher than your existing soil grade).

Watering new plants through their first year is important.  Much less water is needed during the cooler months, but do remember that new plants still have watering needs (albeit not as much).  All plants will continue to need water during the winter months if we have a dry season with no snow or little rain.  Keep in mind that cold temperatures and winds can still desiccate the soil.

Fertilization can be done on a limited basis in September.  I recommend this only for trees and shrubs whose color is off.  Yellowing or uncharacteristic pale green foliage is an indication of lack of fertility.  You want to follow the direction for the size of the plant, but go with half of the recommended rate during the cold months.  When fertilizing more, most assuredly is not better.  Use Hollytone or Treetone.  Do not use grass fertilizer like 10-10-10!  Tree and shrub fertilizers provide yoru plants with the correct amount of micronutrients without giving them the jolt that is caused by grass fertilizer.

For more detailed information on planting trees and shrubs, check out our blog article How to install a plant in Guilford County.

Keeping your gardens looking great throughout the fall is possible, despite the crazy heat from this summer.  Encore Azaleas, knock out roses, and Loropetalum bring a re-emergence of color in the fall.  Gardenias, black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, dianthus, and many other flowers may also bloom again in the fall with careful pruning.  Cutting off old blooms will promote a colorful fall surge.

Additional plants to consider:
Flowering:

Toad Lily

• Anemones
• Toad Lilies
• Asters
• Chrystanthemums

Berrying:

Callicarpa (Beautyberry)

• Callicarpa (Beautyberry)
• Ilex verticellata (Winterberry)

 Color changing foliage:

Oakleaf Hydrangea

• Wildfire black gum
• Korean Stweartia
• Japanese Maple
• Chinese Pistachio trees
• Oakleaf Hydrangea

We are now operating under winter hours.   Drop by the garden center and check out our latest featured plants!

Plant now for spectacular fall color!

Wildfire Black Gum
Nyssa sylvatica "Wildfire"

A beautiful shade tree with good spring color; the new foliage ends are red. 

This tree is one of the showiest of all the fall reds, it will stop you in your tracks! 

Not to be confused with the messy and annoying gum trees that drop those annoying gum balls. 

Full sun or part shade, with grow 40’ T x 20’ W 

This is a perfect alternative to a maple to give your garden more variety.

7 gallon $ 79.99

Wildfire Black Gum

Korean Stewartia
Stewartia koreana

This gorgeous specimen is somewhat pyramidal in it growth habits. 

It will reach 30’ T but only 15’-20’ W. 

These trees boast dark green leaves that turn to lovely shades of orange, red and purple in fall. 

Over a period from June to July, this tree is decorated with

lovely, pure white, yellow-centered blossoms, 

three inches across and flattened, appearing much like a single camellia flower. 

The bark of Korean Stewartia is probably the most outstanding characteristic, 

with orange/brown patches showing through the flaking, gray bark. Full Sun.

15 gallon  $ 184.99

Korean Stewartia

Weigela Rubidor 

Weigela Florida 'rubidor' 

Put on your sunglasses!  

Bright, neon foliage and the ruby-red flowers 

will make this a real attention grabber in your landscape. 

They will go 4’ T x 4’ W. 

The leaves turn orange/red throughout the summer 

and they flower for 2-3 months! 

Full sun or ½ day of shade, 

makes this a great understory shrub 

or it can be used as a colorful backdrop. 

3 gal. $ 23.99

Weigela 'Rubidor'