Autumn Wonderland

The Autumn can be the most colourful season in the garden. Deciduous trees, plants and shrubs will give brilliant colours until the first frosts which may not occur until late October, November or even later, and there are many evergreen plants that will give lush and beautiful effects, food and shelter for birds and over-wintering insects.

Below are some of the best autumn colour plants and at the bottom there is a list of plants, shrubs and trees that are at their best at this time of year.

 

 

Maples can turn red, orange or yellow and are perfect for small gardens.

 

 Berberris ( and there are many kinds, evergreen and deciduous) and other dense prickly shrubs are particularly valuable for shelter and food for small birds. They give wonderful protection from magpies, cats and squirrels. Below is B thunbrergia atropurprea and several evergreen shrubs.

Euonymus Alatus (above) - American Blueberry - and Fothergilla are three of the most spectacular autumn-colour deciduous shrubs.

 

 
 

 

 

Malus Berberris and Buddleia

Deciduous trees and shrubs that change colour  - as well as green and golden evergreen trees - and those that  have berries, winter flowers (Prunus autumnalis), and beautiful bark,   will give some of the best garden colour in autumn and give interest throughout the winter.

 
Trees contribute the most visible autumn colour, The Quercus Rubra (Red Oak)  is a potentially large tree, not suitable for small gardens, but like any tree, it can be grown in a large container to keep it small or medium.

Other spectacular autumn color trees are the Sumach, these can sucker quite badly in the ground, but make particularly good container specimens -

Acers - Prunus and Malus  and Liquidambar are also lovely trees

 

 
As well as trees and shrubs, there are lots of herbacious perennials and annuals that will flower until the first frosts - As well as Dahlias, Chrisanthemums and several good varieties of Michaelmas daisies, there are the Rudbekias and small flowered - willow leaved sunflower. 4-5' tall and very spready, but wonderful in late autumn.
 

 
If you have a greenhouse, conservatory or even a large porch, you can have wonderful colour in conditions from  frost free shelter to minimal heating with late autumn or early spring flowers. One of the best group of plants for this purpose are Fuchsias. Not the hot house varieties, or hardy shrubs, but the hybrids that are grown for garden, containers and hanging baskets. brought inside they can if you wish be kept flowering right through until the spring, or allowed to go dormant in the early spring for a couple of months.

They show up best on shelves where their wonderful and diverse flowers can be seen to best effect. The outdoor hardy hybrids can be potted up and brought into the cool bright conditions. If they get cold they will lose their flowers and leaves,  but in slightly warmer conditions will thrive.

They look very good grown with some of the many hardy and evergreen ferns

Mission Bells

 

 Winston Churchill

 

Carmel Blue

Click here for more information and list of autumn colour plants, shrubs and trees.