For gardening, autumn is a great time for planting perennials. In fact, it's actually better than spring planting for many plants. Fall planting gives the root systems a jump start on growth so that by spring, everyone is ready to concentrate on showing off their interesting, delightful foliage.

If new to the area and planning for autumn color, this is a good time to study the yards and landscapes of neighbors. Even better, this is a great time to come visit the nursery with a concentration of autumn characteristics in show.

If looking for colors that remind us of the New World, Dry Creek offers these and more:

• Turkastan Maple (Acer turkestanicum) -- a small shrub with slender branches offers bright red leaves in the fall.
• Autumn Blaze Maple (Acer X Freemanii) -- this rapid growing pyramidal deciduous broadleaf tree grows to a height of 50 to 60 feet and is dazzling red in the fall.ￃ?
• Dream Catcher Cherry (Prunus 'Dream Catcher') -- a beautiful, medium to fast growing upright deciduous tree offers year-round ornamental features, including a striking pink array of flowers in the spring, deep green leaves in summer, and a yellow-orange display in the fall.
• Clump River Birch (Betulaceae) -- a large, fast growing pyramidal deciduous shade tree with color ranging between chartreuse and golden-yellow depending upon the year.