While looking through some gardening newsletters that I had been saving to read on a rainy day, I came across an issue of one called "The Curious Gardener" that I had received last fall. One of the articles in the newsletter, written by gardener/author Gay Wilhelm and entitled Quick Fall Foliage, was a good discussion of shrubs that could be planted for good fall color. It occurred to me that spring might be a good time to discuss fall color plants, because planting them now would allow you to begin enjoying them next autumn. Thanks to Gay Wilhelm for the following fine article.

Do you love the look in the foothills of the trees decked out in their fall finery? Everywhere you look fiery oranges, crimson and buttery yellow surround you. You'd love to have that scrumptious color in your backyard but there's no room or no time. You don't want to wait years for that spindly liquidambar to peek over the fence. The answer is colorful shrubs. Many backyard-size shrubs turn beautiful colors in the fall without the wait or the huge cleanup of full grown trees.

Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica) has purple and bronze tints in the fall. Crimson colors begin in the winter and the red berries are a great addition to Christmas greenery. 'Alba' has golden foliage and white berries. These evergreen or semideciduous shrubs are slow to moderate growers, growing six to eight feet. Other members of the barberry family offer colorful hues. Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is an example with yellow, orange and red foliage in the fall.

Rhus--decidious Sumac--has 11 to 23 narrow leaflets two to five inches long that turn brilliant scarlet before falling. Conical clusters of scarlet fruit last on bare branches throughout the winter. Sumac can be a shrub or a small tree growing from five feet tall to 20 feet in the wild. R. aromatica is the lowest growing and grows in higher elevations. R. glabra is native to eastern Washington and Oregon.

Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria) has roundish blue green leaves one and one-half to three inches long that turn yellow to red orange in the fall. Dramatic puffs of purple "smoke" come form large clusters of fading flowers that appear as fuzzy purple hairs. This tree or shrub can grow to 25 feet.

Snowball, Nannyberry, European Cranberry (Viburnum) is known for its fragrant flowers and fruit that birds love. If this weren't enough the fall foliage can be brilliant red in the decidious varieties. This shrub to small tree grows to 20 feet.

Other shrubs include Serviceberry (Amelanchier), Cottoneaster, Ekianthus, Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alata), Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), Photinia villosa and pomegranate (Punica granatum). Check with your nursery for availability in your area.

Vines can add color to walls or trellises. Try Wisteria, Grape or Virginia Creeper or Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus) for a quick fix for fall color.

With a little planning you too can have a new England splash of color in your yard every fall. Check with your nursery for availability in your area.