Fall is the season for planting in Texas!
As the summer sun fades and cooler temperatures arrive, it’s the perfect opportunity to refresh your landscape with beautiful shrubs, vibrant blooms, and lush greenery. Whether you’re looking to add a pop of color, create an elegant garden border, or enhance your home’s curb appeal, fall planting sets the stage for a thriving landscape!
At Calloway’s & Cornelius Nursery, we’re here to help you make the most of the season. Discover six stunning plants to transform your Texas garden, plus our favorite gardening essentials to help them flourish!
Why Fall Is the Best Time to Plant in Texas
Did you know that fall is one of the best times to plant trees and shrubs in Texas?
While spring often steals the spotlight, autumn offers ideal growing conditions for establishing healthy plants. Cooler air temperatures reduce heat stress, while the soil remains warm enough to encourage strong root development.
Planting now gives your landscape a head start before the summer returns. With the right plants, quality soil, and a little care, you can enjoy a beautiful garden for seasons to come!
Ready to get planting? Here are some gorgeous additions to consider for your fall landscape.
Peggy Martin Roses: A Timeless Beauty
Add a touch of Southern charm to your garden with Peggy Martin Roses! Known for their beautiful clusters of soft pink blooms and impressive resilience, these climbing roses are a stunning addition to Texas landscapes.
Often called the Hurricane Katrina Rose, this beloved variety is celebrated for its remarkable ability to thrive through challenging conditions.
Its vigorous climbing growth makes it an excellent choice for decorating fences, trellises, arbors, and garden walls. With plenty of sunshine and room to grow, Peggy Martin Roses can create a breathtaking floral display from spring into fall.
Encore® Azaleas: Beautiful Blooms Beyond Spring
Who says colorful blooms are only for spring?
Encore® Azaleas bring soft, romantic color to your garden with delicate light pink flowers featuring deeper pink centers. Unlike traditional spring-blooming azaleas, fall varieties offer repeat blooms throughout spring, summer, and fall!
Their compact, rounded growth and evergreen foliage make them a wonderful choice for garden borders, foundation plantings, and decorative containers.
These elegant shrubs bring lasting beauty and year-round greenery to your outdoor space.
Baby Gem™ Boxwoods: Evergreen Elegance for Every Season
Looking to add structure and sophistication to your landscape?
Baby Gem™ Boxwoods are a garden favorite for their dense, rich green foliage and naturally compact, rounded shape. These versatile evergreen shrubs provide beautiful greenery throughout the year, even as the seasons change.
Perfect for defining walkways, creating formal hedges, or framing your home’s entrance, Baby Gem™ Boxwoods add a polished appearance to any landscape.
Their manageable growth also makes them a wonderful option for smaller gardens and container arrangements.
Pink Muhly Grass: A Fluffy Fall Favorite
Bring movement, texture, and a dreamy pop of color to your Texas garden with Pink Muhly Grass!
This beautiful ornamental grass is especially eye-catching during fall when airy pink-to-purple plumes create a soft, cloud-like appearance above its fine green foliage.
Use it along garden borders, in mass plantings, or as a colorful accent among your favorite shrubs. Its graceful appearance pairs beautifully with evergreen foliage and flowering plants.
Magnolias: Classic Southern Charm
Make a beautiful statement in your landscape with Magnolias!
The classic Southern Magnolia is admired for its glossy, deep green evergreen leaves and large, fragrant white flowers that bloom during the warmer months. Its elegant, upright growth makes it an excellent choice for creating privacy, adding year-round greenery, or serving as a stunning focal point in your yard.
Asian Jasmine: Lush Greenery from the Ground Up
Complete your fall landscape with the rich, evergreen foliage of Asian Jasmine!
This versatile groundcover is an excellent choice for filling open spaces, softening garden edges, and creating a lush, carpet-like appearance throughout your landscape.
Its dense growth habit makes it ideal for planting beneath trees, around larger shrubs, or along pathways where traditional turfgrass may struggle.
Asian Jasmine provides beautiful greenery throughout much of the year and can help create a cohesive look across your outdoor space.
Give Your Fall Garden the Best Start
A beautiful garden starts from the ground up!
Before planting your favorite fall shrubs and greenery, prepare your landscape with Calloway’s Premium Soils and Mulches, specially selected to help your Texas garden thrive.
Calloway’s Premium Tree & Shrub Garden Soil
Set your new plants up for success with soil designed to support healthy root development.
Calloway’s Premium Tree & Shrub Garden Soil features a nutrient-rich blend of ingredients, including expanded shale, coconut coir, earthworm castings, and beneficial mycorrhizae.
Together, these ingredients help improve soil aeration, manage moisture, and support nutrient uptake for healthier plants.
It’s a wonderful addition when preparing your landscape for Peggy Martin Roses, Baby Gem™ Boxwoods, Magnolias, and other trees and shrubs.
Calloway’s Premium Organic Mulches
Don’t forget the finishing touch!
Adding mulch is one of the simplest ways to protect and enhance your Texas landscape throughout fall and winter.
Calloway’s Premium Organic Mulches help:
- Retain moisture to keep the soil from drying out too quickly.
- Regulate soil temperatures as the weather changes.
- Reduce weeds that compete with your plants for water and nutrients.
- Protect root systems from fluctuating temperatures, including protection from freezes.
- Enhance curb appeal with a clean, polished garden appearance.
Choose from Calloway’s Premium Organic Cedar, Hardwood, or Pine Bark Mulch to find the perfect finishing touch for your landscape.
For acid-loving plants like Azaleas, our Premium Organic Pine Bark Mulch is an especially great choice!
Fall Planting Tips for a Thriving Texas Garden
Ready to transform your garden? Follow these simple tips to give your new plants a healthy start!
- Choose the Right Location: Before planting, consider each plant’s sunlight requirements, mature size, and drainage needs.
- Prepare Your Soil: Loosen the planting area and incorporate the appropriate Calloway’s Premium Garden Soil as directed to help support healthy root growth.
- Water Thoroughly: Give your newly planted shrubs and greenery a deep watering after planting. Continue checking soil moisture regularly as roots become established.
- Add a Protective Layer of Mulch: Apply approximately 2–3 inches of mulch around your plantings, keeping it away from trunks and stems.
Fall Starts Here!
There’s no better time to fall in love with your landscape!
From the beautiful blooms of Peggy Martin Roses and Azaleas to the timeless greenery of Baby Gem™ Boxwoods and Magnolias, fall offers endless opportunities to create a stunning outdoor space.
Pair your favorite plants with Calloway’s Premium Soils and Mulches to give your garden the foundation it needs for seasons of growth and beauty.
Visit your neighborhood Nursery today and let our Texas Certified Nursery Professionals help you find the perfect plants and gardening essentials for your fall landscape!
Beautiful gardens begin at Calloway’s & Cornelius!
Frequently Asked Questions About Fall Shrubs
Some of the best plants for fall landscaping in Texas include Peggy Martin Roses, Encore® Azaleas, Baby Gem™ Boxwoods, Pink Muhly Grass, Magnolias, and Asian Jasmine. These plants offer a variety of colorful blooms, evergreen foliage, ornamental texture, and groundcover options for Texas landscapes.
Fall is an excellent time to plant shrubs in Texas because cooler air temperatures reduce heat stress while the soil often remains warm enough to encourage root development. Planting in autumn gives many shrubs time to establish their roots before the heat of summer returns.
Newly planted shrubs need consistent moisture while their roots become established. Water deeply after planting, then check the soil regularly and adjust watering based on rainfall, temperature, soil drainage, and each plant’s needs. Avoid keeping the soil excessively wet, as overwatering can damage roots.
Baby Gem™ Boxwoods, Southern Magnolias, and Encore® Azaleas are excellent options for adding evergreen foliage to Texas landscapes. Baby Gem™ Boxwoods provide compact structure, Southern Magnolias offer glossy foliage and a dramatic focal point, and Encore® Azaleas combine evergreen leaves with repeat flowering.
You can add fall color with flowering shrubs and ornamental plants such as Encore® Azaleas and Pink Muhly Grass. Pair these with evergreen plants like Baby Gem™ Boxwoods and Magnolias to create contrast, texture, and year-round visual interest in your landscape.
Quality soil that supports drainage, moisture management, and healthy root development is important when planting shrubs in Texas. Calloway’s Premium Tree & Shrub Garden Soil contains expanded shale, coconut coir, earthworm castings, and beneficial mycorrhizae to help support root growth and nutrient uptake. Follow the product directions and account for your existing soil conditions when preparing your planting area.
Yes! Applying approximately 2–3 inches of organic mulch helps retain soil moisture, moderate soil temperatures, suppress weeds, and protect plant roots from temperature fluctuations. Keep mulch away from trunks and stems to help prevent moisture-related problems. Calloway’s Premium Organic Cedar, Hardwood, and Pine Bark Mulches offer options for different landscape needs.
Calloway’s and Cornelius Nursery offer a variety of plants, premium soils, and organic mulches to help you create a beautiful fall landscape. Visit your neighborhood nursery to explore seasonal plant selections and speak with Texas Certified Nursery Professionals for guidance on choosing the right plants for your sunlight conditions, soil, and landscaping goals.