SIX AWESOME AUTUMN PLANTING IDEAS
Don’t let summer hijack all the glory. Keep the colour coming in beds and borders with these gorgeous late-year combinations, says Sally Charrett
Keep the colour coming in beds and borders
“Autumn is a rich tapestry of flowers, leaves and berries”
ALtHougH it’s tempting to shut the shed door and believe that’s it for the year, think again. the show’s not over yet! Autumn offers a rich tapestry of colourful flowers, foliage and berries, as well as shimmering grasses, all beautifully lit by that special golden light we experience as the sun dips ever lower in the sky.
You may not be spending quite as much time in the garden as you do on hot summer days, but lovely autumn plants can still be enjoyed from a garden bench when you’re wrapped up warm with a hot cup of tea in hand.
Half of the art of successful gardening is creating gorgeous planting combinations. Just as you would match up paint colour with carpets and curtains, or co-ordinate the colour scheme of an evening outfit, plants look their best when partnered up with others to create harmony or contrast. But with so many species and varieties to choose from, where do you start?
A good way to experiment is to visit a garden centre or nursery, see what is looking good now, then arrange the plants on the soil, still in their pots, until you get a look that delights the eye. Needless to say, always check plant labels and make sure you are combining plants that require the same growing conditions and soil.
If you have established plants in a border that aren’t being shown off to their best advantage, now is a good time to move or divide them. the soil is still warm enough for them to settle their roots before winter hits and we all hunker down for a while.