Shade Tree Planting

Fall Planting Guide

Holland flower bulbs are now available for fall planting. These lovely gems will bloom for you next spring.

• Lettuce can be planted from starts for a quick fall crop.
• Garlic cloves can be planted now. Keep them watered and weeded through the winter and you will harvest healthy large bulbs next June.
• Clove-scented stock is a bedding flower that likes cool weather. Plant them now to enjoy their pink, white, and lavender blooms.

Fall is for planting! Make the most of the nice fall weather and plant shade trees, roses, and spring-flowering bulbs this weekend.

Enhance Your Living Environment with Shade Trees

Planting trees around your house creates a pleasant environment that invites you to spend more time outdoors, especially during the hot weather days of summer and fall. If you plant a tree where it will shade your home as it grows, you can greatly reduce the heat both inside and around the building. For a small investment, you can greatly increase the value of your property.

Best Trees for Shade

• South Side of the House: Trees planted here should grow tall enough to shade the roof. Summer sun is at a high angle and heats the roof much more than the south wall. Sycamores and maples both grow large enough to do the job. Plant deciduous trees to allow winter sun to shine through.
  • Autumn Fantasy Maple: A fast-growing tree to 50 feet tall and 40 feet wide, with large leaves that turn bright red in fall.
  • October Glory Maple: Features beautiful reddish-purple fall color.
  • Sun Valley Maple: Known for reliable bright red fall leaves.
• West Side of the House: Shading the western wall through the long hot afternoons improves indoor comfort. Medium-sized trees work well here.
  • Fruitless Mulberry: Fast-growing to 35 feet tall and wide, reaching 20 feet by 20 feet in five years. Large leaves provide considerable shade.
  • Purple Robe Locust: A showy tree with purplish-pink spring flowers, fast-growing to 40 feet tall, and well-adapted to hot, dry areas.
  • Chinese Pistache: Grows 30 to 40 feet tall with a round crown, offering filtered shade. Leaves turn brilliant orange and red in fall. Tolerates heat, most soils, and can thrive with little summer water.
• Large Shade Trees:
  • Sycamore: Grows 40 to 80 feet tall, hardy in harsh conditions, drought-tolerant, and features attractive flaking bark.
  • Weeping Willow: A large, spreading tree ideal for spacious areas, offering beauty and shade for years to come.
• Smaller Trees for Nearby Shade:
  • Chinese Maples: Tough trees suitable for planting closer to the house, such as near a front porch or sunny window.
    • Norwegian Sunset and Pacific Sunset: Hybrids with glossy summer leaves and red-yellow-orange fall color.

Fall is the best time to plant trees, so begin now to create a more pleasant environment around your home.