GARDENING:
Plan a fabulous finale to the year with these seasonal wonders
THiS time of year is often called ‘the forgotten season’. Forgotten because we focus mainly on spring and summer across the gardening year. We plant mainly for those seasons, but too little for autumn. That’s a shame because gardens can
look as beautiful now as in May. This season has a special quality. Landscapes begin to mature and mellow, with fewer greens and a greater number of warmer shades. Foliage can develop russet tones, often with crimson and scarlet highlights.
in contrast, heavy dews make tired lawns greener. above all, you can make borders or containers look their brightest and best with autumn flowers.
You may want to chop everything back and tidy your plot for winter. But it’s too early. instead, pep up your autumn planting and go for a glorious finale. autumn perennials — asters, chrysanthemums, dahlias, big yellow daisies and others will look superb — their warm colours complementing the misty dawns and soft autumn light.
BUILD LATE DISPLAY
SO, inSTeaD of putting the garden to bed, get planting. You can buy containerised perennials in flower now. They’ll give a modest show but realistically you’re investing in the future. it’s also worth seeking less usual varieties. Late red-hot pokers such as the orange Kniphofia
rooperi are spectacular but need space. Orange hybrid ember glow and yellow Wrexham Buttercup fit the bill. resembling small gladioli,
hesperantha ( schizostylis) flowers into november.
The best, h. coccinea Major has carmine blooms which would contrast with blue or mauve penstemons, or yellow rudbeckias. Once popular, Michaelmas daisies lost favour owing to mildew. resistant varieties include gorgeous violet-blue Little carlow and tall, dark stemmed Aster laevis calliope. For november, A.
lateriflorus has an explosion of tiny pale lilac flowers.
Most of the plants mentioned so far would thrive in pots or large planters. in limited space, select varieties with the biggest or prettiest flowers and greatest elegance. container plants in particular must look gorgeous on their own, as well in groups.
On a larger scale boost autumn colour with trees or shrubs. Our native spindle tree, euonymus
europaeus, is modest in size and bears curious pink fruits dis-playing orange seeds. Leaves of the more compact e. alata turn dazzling scarlet each October. The best small maples, such as
Acer japonicum varieties and smaller A. palmatum are beautiful from april to novem-ber. A. palmatum Osakazuki seems almost to catch fire. For containers, dwarf A. palmatum varieties include Little princess which turns amber and Blood-good whose purple summer leaves turn brooding crimson.
OCTOBER TINTS
HerBaceOUS plants can have fabulous foliage, too. Large grass Anemanthele lessoniana turns bronze and pairs well with leathery bergenias. The leaves of Bergenia abendglut and B. Beethoven darken to bronze from October to May. Their spring flowers are shocking pink and flushed white respectively.
For autumn’s latest colour, choose border chrysanthe-mums. pink Mei-kyo, yellow nantyderry Sunshine and maroon Duchess of edinburgh flower through to november. For quieter beauty, tricyrtis
formosana, toad lily, has small mottled- purple flowers. For ultimate elegance, Kirengeshoma
palmata, has waxy, yellow flowers above beautiful foliage.