We moved to our new house back in 2014. The old house was an open canvas when I bought it. No trees or even plants in the front yard so I landscaped with Halloween in mind. When we moved in 2014, this was a house built in 1944 and had a good deal of landscaping already here....none of it screamed Halloween or Autumn with the exception of the giant old Sugar Maple in the front yard:
My wife and I had been going round and round the last few years about what to plant in our front yard. As we live LITERALLY in the heart of our town, she wants to keep it classy over creepy. So no Black Tulips or Willow trees in the front. I did get a good start on a Wicked Willow ( also known as a Japanes willow or curly willow) in the back yard and it can be propagated via cuttings once it get bigger:
As it grows larger, the limbs become twisted and more contorted and can be cut and dried for arrangements, walking sticks, props etc.
As luck would have it, they just put in a new GREEN BELT in front of our home...literally in front. This green belt circles the park and almost the whole of down town for people to bike, walk, run etc on a nice big path around the park and town. The town just landscaped and put 3 Autumn Brilliance Service Berries in our front yard for free!
For those not familiar with the Autumn Brilliance Service Berry, it is a tree that grows between 15 and 25 foot high. Often called the 4 season tree or the All Season Tree, it has something to offer year round. in Winter, it has silvery bark which stands out well with the bleakness of winter. In Spring it has large cloud like white flowers all over it :
In Summer it gets emerald green spear shaped leaves and edible berries that can be made into jams or backed in a pie!
The best part of the Autumn Brilliance Service Berry is what it does in the Fall....Like it's namesake, it is Brilliant in Autumn:
And to think. there are 44 of these babies lining our street in front of my house. One day the Trick Or Treaters will be walking under a canopy of Autumn Brilliance as they try to make there way to Meade Manor and the terrors that dwell within! I cannot wait!
