Golden glow of autumn

AUTUMN is coming — in fact, technically we are already a month into it but don’t let this be a reason to ignore the garden for the next six months until the spring, with all it has to offer in new growth and hope, arrives again.

Please don’t think of the autumn as a period when the garden loses colour. One of the benefits of living in this part of the world is that we get to enjoy four seasons and with this season comes autumn colour.

If you have failed to appreciate autumn in the garden up to now let me encourage you to plant now for a blaze of fiery reds, oranges, and all the yellow and copper hues that you associate with the end of summer. Have a look out for Dogwoods (Cornus), Smoke Bush (Cotinus), Bergenia, Birch (Betula) and Miscanthus. All these plants will offer much to the garden this season, but for me the kings of autumn colour are the Acers. Maples of all shape and size offer fantastic colour, but my favourite are the Japanese Maples.