With the autumn equinox behind us and the prospect of shorter days to come, the quality of the light begins to change and so do the colours in the garden. The green leaves of deciduous trees begin to turn to a riot of red, orange and yellow before scattering like confetti in the autumn wind and leaving bare branches to create striking structures in the morning mist.
Now more than ever autumn colour in the garden is needed and you can achieve this in a variety of ways.
Autumn bulbs like cyclamen and colchicum (autumn crocus) create little pops of colour in borders and under trees to brighten any autumn day. Cyclamen bulbs and tubers can be planted now and may produce flowers a few weeks after planting. Colchicum bulbs can be planted any time from July through to September but to ensure autumn colour it is best to plant in August if you can. For instant impact these plants can be bought in pots from garden centres and will spread to produce excellent ground cover.
Another favourite for autumn colour is an Aster. These hardy perennials come in a variety of colours from rust red, deep pink and white to multiple shades of purple, blue and lilac. A fabulous clump forming plant with daisy shaped flowers, Asters always surprise me as they seem to maintain their compact shape and numerous buds, just waiting for other plants to fade before they seem to burst into colour almost in front of your eyes. You can plant young Aster plants in spring ready for autumn colour or alternatively plant out in early autumn so they can get established ready for next year. Again, you always have the option of a visit to your local garden centre to buy an established plant to give you instant colour in a sunny spot. Asters prefer a bit of sun but will tolerate partial shade in well-drained soil – they don’t like to sit in water so add some grit when planting to allow for good drainage.
For versatile autumn colour, you can refresh your pots and replace flagging summer bedding with autumn/winter bedding which you can then position in any dull spaces in your garden. Pots of winter pansies and violas are always reliable, just remember to keep them moist, autumn winds can dry out pots just a much as summer sunshine. To create a cohesive planting scheme, you can link the colour of your bedding to the pots and this will enhance the colour of your planting.
In addition to winter bedding, evergreen shrubs like Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ add interest throughout autumn and winter and will tolerate a shaded spot in your flower bed. They also make an excellent focal point in a large container when planted with other autumn/winter bedding plants.
For more information about arranging colour in your autumn garden, please get in touch.
