I live in an area that makes my hour-long commute pure delight for a month in the fall. Folks come from all over the world to see northern New England in autumn. That said, there are plants that you can add to your yard that will give you riotous fall color in your area. Right now there is a poster over on the shrubs forum from the Bay Area who has posted some of the same shrubs and small trees that show color here such as Fothergilla, Japanese maples, Itea, blueberries, and Enkianthus among others. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/4983162/wonderful-fall-color-shrubs?n=15 http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/4983152/my-wonderful-disanthus-cercidifolius?n=10 if she can grow them, there is a reasonable chance that you can, though Northern California covers a quite broad swath. I would check out plantings at relatively local arboretums, colleges, and wealthier neighborhoods that have particularly nice plantings to see what might work for you. Plants you don't know may be IDed on the Name that Plant Forum if you can take good photos. You may also find some good info on this blog, Form and Foliage, whose author is perhaps Sonoma County, but in the northern half of CA regardless. I know I have seen some lovely foliage posted by its author, so it might be worth looking around there. Here are my Fothergilla from earlier this month.

Some lovely photos of plants and gardens on here - Heruga, your plants look outstanding and GardenHo - your garden is an absolute treasure. Makes me a bit hesitant to put my terrible novice pics up on here. Have to keep practicing though. PM - loads going on there...and all looking plump and delicious. O Rouge, I don't know you you do it...unless you have an infinitely expanding garden and purse. Always looks at peak loveliness. Woody - yours always looks serene and inviting. I manage to get some of that but only for a few weeks in spring before it gradually tips into chaos.

@Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A Dave, I hate to disagree with you, but that's obviously Victoria amazonica. I'm just surprised it's growing out of water...and it seems to be a lot hardier than the references state. And I didn't realize it had such stout stem. And it's more tall and upright than any water lily has a right to be. And the leaves are much smaller. And pointier. And more numerous. And they should be peltate. And I don't see any thorns. Or a raised leaf rim. But other than that, it really matches V. amazonica :P P.S. I really don't see how they can claim a leaf of V. amazonica will support a human's weight. Obviously they're too small (the leaves, not the humans).

I don't see good coloration of oaks in my are, NJ, coastal 7a/b. I love Gingko but their color season seems to be very brief in my yard.. I have Pin Oak, would not say the coloration is vibrant, but do like the species. They go from rich green to yellow and fallen in days. In my world, my favorite for fall color is definite Japanese maple "Bloodgood". It keeps its leaves late late in the season, late October, then changes to crimson red and the leaves linger for weeks. Overall, with warmer falls, coloration is not as vibrant as in years past.