AUTUMNAL ACCENTS

I’ve had a number of these old apple crates for years. They have been used as bookshelves and bedside tables as I’ve moved from house to house. Now they have woodworm so I am trying to find different uses for them outside until they finally disintegrate. As the summer comes to an end, I find myself turning to those warm, autumnal hues of yellow and orange, anticipating cosy fireside evenings again.

How to achieve the look

Container and composition

The crate needed lining with black landscape fabric, which I secured with a staple gun, to stop the compost falling through the gaps. Ideally it should be lifted off the ground with tiles to allow air circulation and stop the wooden base rotting too quickly. The Crocosmia gave instant height while the Melica echoed its grassy form and added volume, giving the composition a loose, meadowy feel. The pale-orange tones of the Coreopsis, Asclepias and Crocosmia are all similar and create a rhythmic repetition running through the dense, green foliage. The darker foliage and redder flowers of the Cuphea are a little off balance and make the composition feel a more informal.

Cultivation and care

A brightly lit position is best for these sun lovers. The Coreopsis and Cuphea are on the tender side so could be lifted and brought under cover to protect them from the worst of the winter weather.

You could also take cuttings from the Cuphea in autumn. The Melica flowers in early summer, but if you cut it back, which is advisable as it is a prolific self-seeder, it will send up fresh foliage and a few, sparser, flowers in late summer. Once all the foliage in the planter has died down, you can cut it back. The following spring you could add some earlier flowering plants such as the hardy annual Orlaya grandiflora, which will be over by the time the Crocosmia is in flower.

Plants

1 Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora ‘Golden Glory’ Robust perennial with handsome, strappy foliage. 80cm. RHS H4, USDA 5a-9b†.

2 Coreopsis Mango Punch (= ‘Rp5’) Short-lived perennial with delicate foliage and masses of flowers all summer. 50cm. RHS H3.

3 Cuphea subuligera Long-flowering, tender perennial, also sold as Cuphea caeciliae. 45cm. RHS H3.

4 Melica ciliata Perennial grass with early, dark flowers turning to buff later in the season. 60cm. RHS H6.

5 Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly weed from California with showy, waxy, orange flowers.

90cm. RHS H4, USDA 3a-9b.