Autumn’s colourful glory heralds a winter slowdown
Autumn’s glorious fiery colours, low golden sunlight and dewladen cobwebs make it a wonderful season to work in the garden and visit others for inspiration. The good news for plots looking a little drab is that October is the perfect time to plant new shrubs and trees with bold autumnal hues.
Japanese maples (acers) are ideal specimen trees for small gardens and pots, and their delicate foliage always burnishes beautifully before falling. Good selections for autumn colour are Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ and A. palmatum ‘Seiryu’. Berries and bright leaves make rowans a great choice for autumn too: try the yellow berries of Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ or the candy-pink of S. pseudohupehensis ‘Pink Pagoda’. Spindles, such as Euonymus alatus and E. planipes, turn scarlet this month and have fascinating pink fruit which split to reveal an orange centre. Many other common garden shrubs put on a good autumn display too. Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea, Spiraea betulifolia and Cotinus coggygria all colour up nicely and look great combined with evergreen shrubs for winter structure.
Bare-root trees, shrubs, hedging and roses are an excellent alternative to container-grown plants. They do, however, need planting as soon as possible, so dig over the planting site and add plenty of organic matter before the plants arrive. October is also a good time to plant garlic, onion sets, and a sowing of early broad beans, which should tough out the winter on well-drained soils for an early crop next year. Rhubarb crowns can also be divided and replanted now. Continue planting springflowering bulbs, but wait until next
October is the perfect time to plant new shrubs and trees with bold autumnal hues
month to plant tulips to avoid the risk of disease. Summer bedding will be tiring now, so replace it with springflowering bedding such as violas and primulas, bulking out container displays with evergreen perennials like heucheras and hellebores, and some spring-flowering bulbs for longlasting colour through the colder months.
There is no getting away from the fact that plants are fading as winter dormancy beckons, but embrace the change and keep the garden looking its best by raking up leaves as they fall. This is not just a cosmetic job, as a layer of damp leaves will smother lawn grass and encourage fungal diseases in plants, so be sure to clear them promptly. Cut back spent herbaceous perennials and remove any supports, but leave the graceful flowerheads of grasses, along with the sturdy flower stems of stalwarts like rudbeckias, veronicastrums and echinaceas to provide interest as winter draws that little bit nearer.