This afternoon, my daughter Mary and I will make our second trip to Milwaukee in three days. We will drive up there again next Wednesday. When the kids were younger, a drive in the car was peaceful. We would listen to books on tape (The Jungle Book was our favorite), Spanish music (to promote language learning), or if I needed some adult conversation, they would read books and I would listen to WGN Radio.
A two-hour drive these days is filled with homework. Sarah completed 23 algebra problems on Tuesday during our drive. Mary will work on geometry today. This afternoon, my time will be spent admiring the beautiful fall color. The countryside between Lake Geneva and Milwaukee is filled with the glorious orange, red, and purple colors of fall.
Want to add fall color to your yard? A few well-placed shrubs or a tree will do just that. Here are a few shrubs that I have seen exhibiting fall color in Sun City:
Viburnum
Hydrangea
Spirea
Chokeberry
Forsythia
Redtwig Dogwood
Burning Bush
Barberry
Lilacs
Rhododendron/Azalea
These are a mix of spring- and summer-blooming shrubs for which the leaves also turn color in the fall. Fall color is sometimes related to the amount of sunlight a plant receives. For instance, a burning bush in full sun may have a brighter red fall color than a burning bush planted in full shade.
There are also some gorgeous trees in the community. Here are a few that I have seen:
Maples (tree and clump form)
Ash
Serviceberry-they are gorgeous this year!
Pear
Thinking about a new tree or shrub for your yard? Check out these helpful websites on the University of Illinois website. Try the tree selector at urbanext.illinois.edu/treeselector/ or the shrub selector at urbanext.illinois.edu/ShrubSelector/
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She will address it in an upcoming column.
