Planting new trees into the landscape is always a worthwhile investment! Not only are they pretty to look at and provide cool shade on hot days, but they add a pretty significant increase in property value. Watching trees transition through each season is always a delight, but trees in autumn are especially beautiful. But did you know that autumn is actuaslly the perfect time to plant many of our favourite trees?
The root ball of a tree is quite sensitive. After all, it acts like their “brain” or central nervous system, so if you stress those roots out too much, you’re going to have a very tired looking tree on your hands. Here in Southern Ontario, if you plant in late spring or in the middle of summer, those high temperatures may be a bit too much for the roots to handle. The cool, mild temperatures of autumn are just right for transplanting.
6 Trees You Can Plant In Fall
Want to liven up your landscape with some colourful foliage? These ornamental trees for fall are so distinctly beautiful in their own different ways—it’s hard to pick just one!
Tulip Tree
This tree has so much style, and it grows surprisingly quickly, so if you’re a bit of an impatient gardener, you’ll love watching the tulip tree develop over the years. It gets its name from its gorgeous spring flowers, which you probably have guessed, look quite similar to the classic tulip! While it puts on quite a show in spring, it has a reputation for being especially beautiful in fall, when its sunny golden foliage turns a fiery orange shade.
Because the tulip tree grows so quickly, its branches tend to be a bit thin, so you may want to put it in a spot that gets some protection from the wind. Just make sure it gets at least some partial sun and isn’t too shaded, or else its leaves may turn brown. Regular pruning of your tulip tree and cleanup of any damaged branches will help keep things neat and help prevent pests from showing up.
Autumn Blaze Maple
There’s something so charming about a giant maple, and the blazing red leaves of this maple tree in autumn look so classically Canadian! It’s a perennial favourite, because it’s actually a cross between the red maple and the silver maple, and it seems to have taken on the best traits of both. Overall, it has stunning colours, a nice, balanced branching habit, and pretty sturdy limbs despite being a very fast grower.
Autumn blaze maples need full sun to grow to their best potential, but the condition of the soil is much less critical. This variety is actually quite drought tolerant and doesn’t mind poorer soils—just be sure you water it very regularly for those first couple of months after planting to help the roots establish.
Eastern Redbud
You’ll always look forward to spring in your yard with this show-stopping beauty around! It bursts into bright magenta blossoms and looks like it’s straight off the pages of a fairytale book. They don’t grow especially big—about 30 feet tall and wide at its largest—so if you’re looking for something a little smaller scale, the eastern redbud will suit the landscape nicely.
Ideally, you’ll want to plant your tree in a spot that gets direct sunlight in the morning, but a bit of shade in the afternoon, so a North or East-facing spot in the yard would work best. Plant it at least 8 feet away from any buildings to give it adequate room to spread, and try to put it in a spot that isn’t at the bottom of any slopes. This could cause too much moisture to collect near its roots, and this tree doesn’t like to sit in soggy soil. So long as the soil is quick-draining and isn’t piled up around the trunk of the tree, you aren’t likely to encounter any problems.
Emerald Cedar
We had to add a nice evergreen into the mix! Having vibrant foliage to admire year-round is always such a treat. This narrow variety is upright and handsome, reaching around 12 feet at maturity, so it’s super easy to integrate into the landscape and works particularly well as a hedge border. Its emerald green foliage is finely textured and lush all year long; it’s so classically refined!
This evergreen prefers full to partial sun. It likes well-drained soils, but isn’t very drought-tolerant and prefers moderate moisture, so if we go through a long stretch without rain, you’ll definitely want to water the roots with the hose to keep conditions comfortable. You aren’t likely to have too many pests issues with the emerald cedar, but in December, you may want to wrap it up with burlap to prevent the foliage from getting winter burn.
Heritage Birch
The bark of the birch tree is so uniquely beautiful and textured—we love the way it naturally peels off like paper, revealing fresh new bark underneath. The mature bark of the heritage birch almost has a pinkish tint to it, revealing creamy white new growth underneath. Growing up to around 70 feet tall and wide, it’s quite a sight to behold when grown with multiple trunks, instead of being trained into a single-trunked tree.
The heritage birch actually prefers its soil to be a bit more on the moist side and is more tolerant of clay soils compared to many other common landscape trees. It’s also quite heat tolerant, so as long as it gets some extra water, it shouldn’t be too fazed by a summer heatwave. If you’re going to prune your heritage birch, wait until fall to do so—in spring, the sap is a lot runnier and will make quite a mess!
Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry
This compact tree loves to show off its personality, covered with pretty white flowers every spring, and outdoing itself with orangey-red fall foliage. It produces berries from late spring and into summer, and it has smooth grayish-silver bark. It’s a nice small tree at just 25 feet maximum height. This is a great shade choice for small-scale landscapes. This serviceberry is suitable for planting under power lines.
Serviceberries grow best in full to part sun, and should not be allowed to dry out. This serviceberry is relatively low maintenance, and a beautiful addition to any yard.
Ready to plant some new trees at home? We’ve still got plenty in stock at Eising, and if you aren’t feeling super confident in your own tree-planting abilities, our experts are happy to provide landscaping services. Visit us in-store, or shop online to see our selection of trees that are ready for fall planting, and if you’d like to arrange for home delivery or curbside pickup, we can make that happen!
Hydrangeas are some of the most beloved flowering shrubs around the world—you only need one look at their big, voluminous flowerheads to see why they’re so easy to love. There are hundreds of hydrangea varieties, each belonging to one of six main types. One type, in particular, known as mophead hydrangeas, is famous for a very peculiar and whimsical trait: the flowers can change colours!
The Colour-Changing Shrub
The flowers of the mophead hydrangea change as a reaction to their soil chemistry, resulting in flowers from bright pink to neon blue and every shade in between. However, the shift in shade doesn’t happen overnight—it requires some planning, and a fair bit of patience, to change your hydrangea’s colour.
The good news is that anyone can encourage their mopheads to change colours with the right supplies and a few tips! Here’s how to do it in your yard.
From Pink to Blue
When planted in alkaline soil, mophead flowers bloom in brilliant shades of pink. By increasing the acidity of the soil over time, the flowers will gradually shift to a lovely shade of lilac, and eventually, turn vivid blue with a low enough (more acidic) pH. It’s a true delight to behold this colour change taking place throughout the summer. Some crafty gardeners have even managed to create an “ombré” effect by keeping a row of soil more alkaline on one end and more acidic on the other!
There’s one caveat to the fun; however: while pink hydrangeas will readily fade to blue, it’s nearly impossible to reverse back to pink. Those who have attempted this tend to end up with a rosy purple, which is pretty enough, but never quite the same. With that said, blue mopheads are so gorgeous; there’s a good chance you’ll be happy to keep them around as-is!
How to Turn Your Hydrangeas Blue
Changing your soil pH requires the use of soil amendments, which can gradually alter the soil chemistry. If your hydrangeas are blooming pale pink to lilac, you can intensify the pink colour by adding garden lime to the soil. Follow the package directions to ensure you’re using the right amount at once, and over time, those hydrangeas will start blushing!
However, most mophead growers are in it for the blue blooms. Blue is a relatively uncommon colour in the gardening world, so those gorgeous blue blooms are highly coveted! Mopheads start blooming blue flowers once the soil pH reaches 5.5 or lower. The best way to increase the acidity of the soil is with the use of aluminum sulfate, a common soil amendment that we carry here at Eising. You’ll need to mix a quarter-ounce of aluminum sulfate into a gallon of water and soak the soil around your mopheads. You’ll get the best results by starting in spring, but you can start at any point during the season. However, once you start treating the soil, you’ll need to reapply the amendment every month until you reach the desired result, and then maintain it with an application every other month during the growing season.
To maintain the acidity of your soil, you can also fertilize with acidic compost like orange peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, or peat. While you won’t see results right away, these will help increase soil acidity in the long term, so that you eventually won’t have any need for the aluminum sulfate.
Considerations
Before you start modifying your soil acidity, keep your other plants in mind, as well. Each plant has a different tolerance to acidity—some love it, some can’t tolerate it. As your soil acidity changes, so will your soil’s suitability for your other favourite plants, so make sure to plan around that. Keep an eye on the nursery tag when you shop for plants to grow around your mopheads to ensure you’re leaving with a good fit. We recommend using soil tests regularly to monitor soil acidity throughout your garden. These tests are quick and easy to use, and lots of fun to do with kids!
A garden full of pink, purple, and blue hydrangeas is a truly magical place—and the pride of many Southern Ontario gardeners. Chat with us in-store for plant and product recommendations as you embark on this ultra-popular gardening project. Then, prepare to be spellbound by these enchanting shrubs!
Once summer hits and the sun is shining high, it's time to ditch the extra layers and keep our outfits simple, breezy and light—but of course, with some bright pops of colour and fun, summery prints! Now, a lot of us have been really stretching the limits of our pyjamas (er, I mean, "loungewear") lately, and while it can be nice to keep things cozy and casual, sometimes dressing up a bit can give you that extra boost to conquer the day.
For our latest collection at Sassyfras, we wanted to curate pieces that combine the best of both worlds: comfy, easy pieces you can slip on without any fuss, but in bright colours and styles that bring a sense of energy and vibrance to your wardrobe. Here are some of our standout pieces for summer 2020!
Cotton Tank Dresses
This piece is our secret wardrobe weapon for summer 2020! You'll never want to take it off. We love the simplicity of a cotton tank dress—these ones have subtle detailing to give them some flair, yet are still just as comfortable as a pair of sweats. On top of that, they're super versatile! Throw one on for a backyard barbecue, running errands in town, or overtop of a bathing suit for a beach day.
Our nautical striped tank dress by tribalfemme, in a universally flattering shade of navy, has asymmetric button detailing and a not-too-tight, not-too-loose fit that flatters every figure. It lightly hugs your curves without looking too snug, for a cute and carefree look that won't feel restrictive!
Leafy Motifs
Spring is all about the floral prints, and now that summer is approaching, we're switching it up with some fun, leafy motifs. Not everyone loves florals, so if they feel a bit too frou-frou for you, you'll love the style of palm leaf prints. They have a bit more attitude than florals, and they give off some cool tropical vibes.
Our coral palm leaf dress is perfect for hot summer nights on the patio. The material is light, and the skirt is super stretchy with some asymmetric side ruching—a super flattering feature that magically hides the tummy while still cinching the waist. Layer on some turquoise and gold jewelry for maximum impact!
Fashion For The 50+ Crowd
Navigating the summer clothing department can sometimes be tricky when you're over 50. We took extra time to pull some looks you'll love this season: modern, art-inspired pieces that are light enough for summer, so you can feel confident and comfortable without compromising your sense of style.
For gals who are a bit wary of showing off their upper arms, we picked up some super lightweight, breathable blouses, like this fun pink tunic with wooden button details. If you prefer sleeveless, we have some gorgeous tops in colorful prints that perfectly complement a pair of solid-coloured shorts or capris. You can add your favourite accessories and pair with bright or neutral bottoms to dress the look up or down.
Bermuda shorts are always a must-have for the summer. Having a few go-to pairs in solid neutral colours like navy, black, camel and white will make it so much easier to pull outfits together because they can be paired easily with so many different printed tops. You can even dress them up to make them look semi-formal! We love the look of our cowl neck, sleeveless printed blouse over top of the slim-cut black shorts. The striking abstract art motif has kind of a 1960’s mod vibe, so if you pair it up with some silver hoops and a bit of black winged eyeliner, the look is very Twiggy-esque!
If you're eager to get some new summer pieces to fill out your wardrobe, give us a call at the boutique! We're now open from 10–5 daily, but we’re also happy to offer private shopping appointments to ensure you the most comfortable shopping experience. We also have curbside pickup available, so if you'd like to place an order over the phone, we'd be happy to help.