Why Do Leaves Changes Color in the Fall?

We all enjoy the colors of autumn leaves, delighting in their ephemeral beauty, knowing that all too soon their leaves will drop and winter will be here. Have you ever wondered why leaves change color?

Plant leaves contain pigments that give them their color. The three primary pigments in a plant leaf are chlorophyll (which gives leaves their green color), carotenoids (which provide yellows, oranges and browns) and anthocyanins (responsible for purples and reds). During the growing season, the dominant pigment in most plant leaves is chlorophyll. Plants use chlorophyll in the photosynthesis process. In this amazing process, plants take carbon dioxide from the air, water from their roots, and combine them with sunlight taken in through their leaves to produce glucose (sugar). This is what they do to make their own food.

As summer ends, and sunlight lessens as days begin to get shorter, chlorophyll production slows and eventually stops as plants prepare for winter. When the chlorophyll breaks down, the other colors that have been there all along become visible, and we start to see the change of color. The amount of the various pigments in a leaf are specific to each species of plants, and will also vary from plant to plant within a species. That’s why plants have different colored leaves, and some plants, even of the same kind, are more colorful than others.

Fall color is also influenced by the weather. Temperature and soil moisture are the two main factors. Warm sunny days, followed by cool but not freezing nights, bring out the best color. Too wet or too dry conditions will often result in less dramatic fall color.

Every autumn is different, every autumn is to be appreciated. It has been said that if a person lives 80 years old, they have only had 80 Octobers to appreciate the beauty of the autumn leaves. Take the time to appreciate this special phenomenon.

Just a few of our favorites with spectacular fall color are Triflorum Maple, Paperbark Maple, Serviceberry, Burning Bush, Fothergilla, Itea and Oakleaf Hydrangea.

Autumn is Great for Landscaping

Along with the milder temperatures and beauty of fall comes an excellent opportunity for landscaping for your yard. The cooler weather is a signal for plants to stop growing new shoots and leaves above ground, but not below. Trees and shubs continue to extend their root systems, making fall an ideal time to plant. The cool weather reduces the risk of ‘transplant shock’, or dieback, giving newly installed plants the time to acclimate themselves to their new home and set out new feeder roots before winter arrives. As the soil temperature cools and seasonal rain adds moisture, plants continue to establish themselves. This means that new plantings are less reliant on you (or your irrigation system) for their watering needs when next summer rolls around.

Trees, shrubs, and perennials planted in fall have plenty of time to develop before the wintry weather sets in. When the long, cold winter ends, you will have a new look in your garden and your plants will be ready to embark on a new season of growth.

The fall season is also great for landscaping with spring flowering plants. Because they set their buds the season prior to the flower, fall-planted trees and shrubs will display their glory in the spring season in your garden. A few of our spring-flowering favorites are Crabapples, Redbuds, Serviceberry, Azalea and Viburnum. Or, add to your garden’s fall display by choosing Maples, Cherries, Burning Bush or Sweetspire.

Autumn is also a terrific time to install the new patio or walkway you’ve been thinking about. With the addition of a new patio or sitting area, you can expand your outdoor living space and enjoy the wonderful fall season the Midwest has to offer, as well as having the use of your new space when spring arrives.

30 YEARS YOUNG

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF PROVIDING BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS

In 1979, when Tom Klitzkie had a full-time job as grounds manager for the Bahai’ Temple in Wilmette and his wife Barbara Schwarz was the plant information specialist at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, they started their own business in off-hours. “We worked harder on the weekends than during the week,” Klitzkie says.

From that small beginning the couple grew their company, Nature’s Perspective Landscaping, and is celebrating its 30th anniversary milestone this year. In addition to themselves, they employ 3 full-time landscape architects, 45 seasonal maintenance/installation employees, and 5 full-time employees handling administrative, billing and business-related issues. The company also mentors a new intern each season to learn about the landscaping industry hands-on.

As President and Vice President, Tom and Barb say they are proud of what they and their employees have accomplished. The company helps its clients, that include private residences and commercial properties, create and maintain beautiful, functional outdoor settings.

“We are proud of our employees and our reputation in the community,” Klitzkie says. “Our goal is to satisfy our clients, never stop learning and continue to create new and exciting designs for our customers.”

To help customers visualize their designs, the company offers photorealistic renderings of clients’ landscapes, and 3-D visualizations of hardscape work such as entry steps and raised patios.

The company has always used a green or sustainable approach to lawn and garden maintenance, striving to maintain a balance between keeping a property healthy and looking at its best, while minimizing unnecessary pesticide applications.

In its other eco-friendly efforts the company began a partnership with a local supplier to recycle its plastic plant containers. To help customers conserve water and address drainage issues, the company offers solutions to divert, store and recycle rainwater. To minimize watering needs and enrich the soil on landscape beds, Barb stresses the benefits of organic compost and shredded hardwood bark mulch. They also promote the use of pavers made with recycled materials and water permeable environmental pavers, and are always looking for ways to beautify in a sustainable way.

About Nature’s Perspective Landscaping

Founded in 1979, Nature’s Perspective Landscaping is a full service landscape contractor offering landscape design, installation and lawn and garden maintenance, as well as installation of stonework, brick pavers and hardscapes, ponds, custom woodwork, drainage work and landscape lighting. Newly planted trees, evergreens, shrubs and groundcovers are backed with a two year warranty, exceeding what most of the industry offers by one year. Its Evanston-based three-acre facility at 2000 Greenleaf has a nursery where customers may see and hand pick landscape plants; a paving showroom with an array of natural and man made paving materials and a lighting showroom with low voltage lighting fixtures. For more information, visit www.naturesperspective.com.

First Impressions Are Important

A Clemson University investigation discovered that landscaping achieves more than a 100% return on investment. This return is of course contingent upon the quality of the work done. Landscapes that are installed competently and professionally distinguish themselves. A well-designed landscape increases in value over time.

‘Landscaping is one of the few improvements that adds more value to real estate property than it costs to install’. (Landscape-America.com)

Landscaping improves that crucial first impression a buyer gets when viewing your home. Creating an attractive, inviting appearance is a great way to reach out to potential buyers.

To enhance curb appeal:

Add a 3” – 4” layer of natural, shredded hardwood bark mulch to define and beautify planting beds, condition soil, minimize weeds and reduce the need for watering. Avoid the bargain cypress mulches readily found at discount stores, which tend to give an unnatural, garish look, or the spray-painted mulches, which are not good for the environment.

Add cheer and color to your home by installing pockets of annual flowers and bulbs to flank front entry walks. Fill urns near the front door with seasonal interest plantings. Tulips and Pansies are reliable choices for spring, Petunias and Begonias are just a few of many summer annuals available, Kale and Mums look great in fall, and evergreen boughs, redtwig dogwood branches, winterberry holly and eucalyptus pods bring much-needed color to the starkness of winter.

Concentrate your efforts in the front of your property. It’s the first impression prospective buyers get. A neglected, unattractive landscape can give the impression the home is also neglected.

Paint with a varied plant palette, using suitably-sized trees and shrubs in excellent condition.  A combination of evergreens and flowering plants give a dynamic look in all seasons. Using one or two of the same kind of plants won’t do much to bring attention to your home, and using landscape plants that are too small in relation to the scale of the house tend to emphasize a sparseness in your landscaping.

Consider landscape lighting to accentuate your home’s architecture, to direct views and illuminate walkways. Professionally installed landscape lighting brings attention to the best parts of your home at night and accentuates your garden in the evening hours.

Planning to sell your house this year? Landscaping is a practical and cost-effective way to prepare for the prime selling season ahead.

A beautiful landscape can express your personality and enhance the architecture of your home. Updating your landscaping is a home improvement that will bring  you joy and increase the value of your home.

Visit our on-line portfolio of landscape photos at naturesperspective.com