While I have my favorites I decided to take a poll and hear from some fellow plant lovers at local nurseries about their favorites.  I asked them to recommend trees, shrubs and perennials,  not necessarily in that order.  Here’s what they had to say:

Rosemary Bathurst, Ashe-Simpson

Amsonia hubrichtii – a hardy perennial with great fall color and form.  The airy shapes bend to the wind.  She trims hers back by 1/3 to half  after it flowers in spring  to keep it small.

Aster frikartii ‘Monch’-  one of the latest blooming and the clear blue flowers work so well with Amsonia as well as the fall garden daisies like the Ryan series.

Crocus sativus- this charming bulb with light lilac purple blooms is unexpected at this time of year.  Site it in a location that is easy to access so you can harvest the saffron threads. 

Eupatorium coelestinum- Rosemary admits that this plant can grow even where you don’t want it  but the lilac blooms make up for this bad habit.  In fact it seems to thrive on neglect and shows up in gardens long after they have been abandoned.  

Ginkgo biloba – brilliant yellow leaves and the fact that they drop all at once. She says that in one town in Wisconsin they have a betting pool that you enter by picking the date and time that the tree in the town square will drop its leaves.  The tree can be precise to the hour!

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Pee Wee’ –very dark burgundy fall leaf color and bark interest in winter.  She also likes its size, smaller than the species growing to about 4’ tall.     

Justin Branton, Habersham Gardens

Chionanthus retusus, Chinese fringe tree-although this tree is known for its spring blooms it also displays handsome bark which he appreciates in winter.

Sedum sieboldii ‘October Daphne’-gray green foliage and deep pink flowers

Vaccinium darrowii-also known as evergreen blueberry, tiny evergreen leaves,  it grows 1 to 4’tall and makes a great plant for edging or containers.

Itea virginica 'Merlot'

Melodie McDanal and David McMullin, GardenHood

Itea virginica ‘Merlot’-a compact selection of the native Virginia sweetspire with red and burgundy fall foliage. 

 Juniperus communis ‘Gold Cone’-an upright conifer with golden new growth, turns bluish-green in winter.  Grow it in full sun for best color.  Tolerates drought.   

Lespedeza liukiuensis ‘Little Volcano’- also known as Little Volcano bush clover is covered with masses of red purple flowers that last until late October.  It grows 4 to 6’ tall and is beautiful as it moves with the breeze.

Oxydendrum arboreum

Oxydendrum arboreum-called sourwood, this native tree is one of the first to exhibit brilliant red fall foliage that persists late into the season. 

Viburnum tinus 'Spring Bouquet'

Viburnum tinus ‘Spring Bouquet’-is an evergreen viburnum with dark green foliage, deep red stems and flowers in very early spring.  It grows 5 to 6’ tall, perfect for small hedges or screening.   

Dianna Allstadt, Scottsdale Farms

Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’-this conifer has fragrant branches she loves to use in arrangements and for wreaths and garlands.  A great color in the winter garden.

Lonicera nitida ‘Baggesen’s Gold’- great for containers.  The foliage takes on purple tints in winter. 

Pyracantha ‘Victory’-the brilliant red berries that persist into winter.

Symphoricarpos x doorenbosii Amethyst-this coralberry has vivid purple hot pink berries that stay on after the shrub drops its foliage. 

Acer palmatum 'Sangu Kaku'

Sources: call ahead for hours of operation

Ashe-Simpson Garden Center

4961 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-458-3224

 GardenHood

 353 Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA 30312, 404-880-9848

Habersham Gardens

2067 Manchester St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-873-2484

Scottsdale Farms

 15639 Birmingham Hwy,(Hwy 372), Alpharetta, GA 30004

770-777-5875

Apricot Single mum, euphorbia and Heuchera 'Citronelle'

October in the South can be delightful, with late season roses, asters, chrysanthemums and more.  Here’s what’s blooming in my garden today.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva' and Asters in October

a new patio

While it is ideal to have a plan for your entire landscape,  you may want to start by redoing one section at a time.  This fall pick an area of your garden that you want to renovate.  Start by selecting plants that offer blooms, berries or colorful foliage in autumn.  Then you can expand your palette to include those that offer interest during winter, spring and summer.  For a woodland garden that gets morning sun  but is protected from the hottest sun of the day, here are some suggested combinations.

Camellia sasanqua -Select one of the numerous cultivars with red, pink or white flowers.  This camellia blooms anywhere  from September until December.  The rest of the year it provides an elegant evergreen backdrop.

Hamemalis x intermedia ‘Jelena’    Witchhazel-The leaves turn orange-red in autumn;

in late winter to early spring it produces flowers that are red at the base, orange in the middle and yellow at the tips.

Hydrangea quercifolia Oakleaf Hydrangea-The  leaves take on shades of bronze, crimson and yellow in fall.  In late spring it produces masses of  white flowers.

Magnolia macrophylla Bigleaf Magnolia- This tree which  grows 30 to 40′ tall has a tropical feel.  The giant  leaves, 12 to 32 ” long, green on top with silver undersides, add to its exotic appeal.    In the autumn they turn muted yellow. The white fragrant flowers 8 to 10″ across or larger perfume the air in June.  This magnolia provides a perfect living umbrella for the camellia, the  witchhazel and the oakleaf  hydrangea.

Perennials and ferns for the edge of the woodland

Anemone x hybrida ‘Prinz Heinrich’-This anemone has stunning rosy red semi-double flowers on 18 to 24″ stems.  Plant it in front of the shrubs.
Aster carolinianus – Called the climbing aster,  it needs a wall or a stump to grow up and over.  Masses of pink to lavendar daisies with yellow centers  appear in October and last  for several weeks. This aggressive aster can be cut down to the ground in spring.

Dryopteris erythrosora-Autumn fern is an evergreen fern that starts out with new fronds that are tinged red, pink and yellow, then they turn green in the summer and rusty brown in the fall.  Plant this as a groundcover under shrubs. Treat it as a carpet for the woodland.

For a hot sunny spot- Plant a mix of shrubs and perennials

Amsonia hubrectii-This arkansas blue star looks like a golden willow in autumn.

In spring it has blue flowers.

Aster laevis ‘Bluebird’- With lavendar-blue flowers and a yellow eye, it makes a good companion for the blue star.

Osmanthus heterophyllus- This holly osmanthus pumps out tiny white fragrant flowers from autumn until frost.  Plant this evergreen as a backdrop for Hypericum,

the perennials and the ornamental grass.

Hypericum ‘Sunny’ – This large arching shrub has green leaves until late in the fall

when they turn brilliant red-orange.

Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’- This ornamental switchgrass turns shades of deep red in the fall.

These combinations can be added to or altered to suit your tastes and garden but both offer blooms, berries and texture for the fall garden. Using a mixture of evergreen and deciduous plants will result in a dynamic landscape.  Having a canopy, a middle layer and a carpet will help tie all the components together.