Fabulous Fall Landscape Design Ideas

The fall coloration of this Japanese maple mimics the hue of the garden bench and pulls it forward in the garden, so that the landscape is experienced in layers. The bench shines against the subdued background provided by the concrete board paneled screen, says garden designer Jay Sifford. 

This garden nook created by Sifford Garden Design is a study in contrasts. The ‘Blue Cascade’ atlas cedar in the foreground catches the eye before directing it to the billowy Thunderhead pine, a Burke’s red pine, a trio of 'Mr. Bowling Ball' arborvitae, and a stand of very narrow and sculptural  ‘Van den Akker’ Alaskan cedars.

Architectural accents keep a fall garden from becoming predictable, says Jay Sifford, owner of Sifford Garden Design in Charlotte, N.C. Consider old doors, such as antique Chinese doors, for garden gates, and paint the frame a color that will show off specimen plants, such as a ‘Tamukeyama’ Japanese maple, to their best advantage.

The 'Dancing Peacock' maple struts its stuff in mid-autumn. Its intense reddish-orange coloration of Acer japonicum ‘Acontifolium' (it also goes by full moon maple) shows up best against complementary colors such as cobalt blue, says Jay Sifford, owner of Sifford Garden Design in Charlotte, N.C. Using ceramic pottery in seasonal displays will allow your garden to shine one last time before going to sleep for the winter.