Border rescue Bring an autumn border to life with pink flowers

October is the perfect time for pink-flowering plants, says Ian Hodgson. Add ferns and grasses for contrast

How can I make my autumn border work harder?

THIS AUTUMN BORDER has a wonderful, romantic, unkempt look. After the rigours of summer, seedheads have formed, perennials have begun to die back, leaves are blushing vibrant golds, pinks and reds and many are scattered on the dewy lawn. Yet there are still ways to bring some fresh seasonal excitement. First off I’d add in a few fresh pink autumn flowers. The Japanese anemones used here have gone over, so plump for a later-flowering one such as A. hybrida ‘Königin Charlotte’ or ‘Elegans’, both of which will last into October (depending on the frosts). At the front, I’d plant a few goblet-shaped autumn crocus, Colchicum autumnale; they also come in a white form ‘Album’, and can sprout straight from the bulb. Other options include ivy-leaved autumn cyclamen C. hederifolium to provide a shot of dainty pink flowers October-November, or taller Nerine bowdenii, which blooms September-November. There’s lifting and dividing to be done now too. The sedum in the foreground is a perfect contender: I’d dig it up and divide off the newer sections to replant throughout the border. (See page 28 for purple foliage sedums that would work just as well.) The flappy, waxy green foliage of bergenia offers a useful evergreen presence under the crab apple tree, Malus zumi ‘Professor Sprenger’. As a contrast in leaf shape, I’d dot in a few evergreen ferns such as Polystichum setiferum, Blechnum spicant or Asplenium scolopendrium. All prefer a shady spot in moist, humus-rich soil and can cope with fairly dry conditions around tree roots; the polystichum will grow tallest at H1.2m (4ft), the others are more knee-height, but equally charming. Grasses such as golden Hakonechloa macra ‘Alboaurea’, wispy-flowered Anemanthele lessoniana or red-tipped Panicum virgatum will provide further contrasts of colour and shape. At the back, for height and stature, you could add a compact pampas grass, Cortaderia selloana ‘Pumila’ or a neat, clump-forming bamboo. Fargesia rufa is fully hardy and holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit (H3m/10ft, S1.5m/5ft). Even so, plunge plant it in a non-perishable, bottomless container to restrict its spread.

To avoid a border of mud and sticks in autumn, email gardenanswers@bauermedia.co.uk for help