Around the Yard

Things to do this week:

* Fall foliage. This is a good time to shop for trees known for their fall foliage, if you want to be sure they color up and that you like the color of their leaves. Right now they are colorful in their nursery cans, although even that is not a guarantee since growing in a container can influence how well they color.

Some good bets for fall foliage are ginkgo (even turns gold near the coast), liquidambars, Japanese maples and crape myrtle (both do best inland), nyssa and sapium (also best inland), persimmon and pistache.

* Poinsettia pointers. When shopping for poinsettias, don’t get any that are still in their shipping sleeve. They’re more likely to drop leaves after you get them home.

The most common cause of leaf drop is leaving the plant in its shipping sleeve too long, and it doesn’t matter if that cone-like sleeve is paper or some clear material.

Once they are in the house, keep them away from cold or hot drafts. And don’t leave them outside overnight or out in a cold rain.