The clue is in the colour
It may be murky out so now’s the time to cheer up your patch with autumnal hues
OUR gardens can start to look a little tired now, but there is still much beauty around us with tree canopies turning russet, orange and yellow. In my garden there’s a hazel shrub you might not notice most of the year, but right now it’s turning an eye-catching scarlet.
Koelreuteria, the Indian Golden Rain Tree, is also having a moment, putting on a brilliant display of orange-yellow leaves. The apple trees are also heavy with fruit and I harvested some ripe figs for this morning’s breakfast.
But the flower display is receding – perennials which have been all singing and dancing with colour since spring are starting to wind down.
Yes, there are penstemons, verbena and dahlias still bravely producing blossoms and I love the architectural seedheads of agapanthus and eryngium. But I also want some pops of fresh colour – I think we all need this to cheer us up in the coming months.
A visit to your local garden centre will surprise you as there is so much flower power available right now. It’s time to revamp your window boxes, hanging baskets, pots and containers and give them a fresh lease of life.
So what material can you use at this time of year? Hardy bedding plants will provide the most colour. Violas and pansies can really keep the show going with their happy face-like flowers and the range of petal colours is astonishing. It’s worth looking out for trailing varieties which look so pretty in hanging baskets.
Of course you may have been planning ahead and sown them from seed in June in which case they should be ready for planting out now.
Brightly coloured polyanthus, primulas and bellis perennis will also banish the blues – pack them in tightly for a vibrant display. Autumn is a great time to plant them so they can settle in before winter.
Cyclamen are fantastic, not just for their vivid red, pink and crystal-white flowers but also the lovely marbled foliage. Ornamental cabbages are quirky and fun as well.
With all of these bedding plants, a good compost will make all the difference.
They don’t like drying out but they certainly don’t want to be soggy either. For this reason bigger pots are better if possible – small pots dry out so quickly.
Make sure your container has drainage holes and put some old crocks at the bottom to stop compost getting waterlogged. If you planted up containers of bulbs and the soil is bare on top, these bedding plants will make them look jolly until next spring. A top dressing of gravel can be a good finishing touch too.
As well as bedding, there’s a range of foliage plants which can enliven
planting schemes. Heucheras have a beautiful range of colours, from deep purples, pinks, oranges and limey greens – and I love their ruffleshaped leaves.
Evergreen sedges such as carex suit life in containers and make attractive focal points. ‘Frosted Curls’ has striking silvery green foliage while
‘Bowles Golden’ has gold foliage that curves gracefully.
There’s no reason to have bare pots in winter – containers are miniature gardens which can be planted to delight all year round.
And this year, it’s never been more important to have nature close at hand.