Transform autumn

Whether you're looking for late flowers, fantastic foliage or succulent berries, we have the best plants to transform your garden this autumn

- Tamsin Hope Thomson

IN the heat of summer it’s hard to think ahead to the next season, but soon the stars of your border will begin to fade. Now’s the time to plan to ensure colour in the garden right through to winter. Autumn can be spectacular with a mix of leaf colour, late flowers and berries. If the weather is hot and dry, it’s best to wait until you begin planting. Make a list of the plants that will transform your borders and containers and you’ll be ready to go in September, with trees, shrubs and perennials that will transform your garden.

Instant colour

Buying in flower makes it easy to see how your plant will look alongside others in the display, bringing instant colour to gaps in your border. For flowering perennials like asters and Japanese anemones, September and October are their high season, while plants like agastache, penstemons and salvias are flowering in July but will keep on going until the first frosts, especially if you keep deadheading.

Leaf colour is another way to bring your autumn garden to life and there’s such a huge range of foliage plants to choose from, whether it’s the scarlet foliage of a smoke bush, the violent yellow of gingko or the mixed blaze of a compact liquidambar.

Many plants will also make attractive specimens throughout the year, making them a worthwhile investment. Look for trees and shrubs that not only have autumn colour, but also offer spring flowers or attractive foliage at other times of year. Berrying plants add another dimension, bringing colour and, often, a source of food for birds. Try the black berries of amelanchier, the bright yellow of sorbus and glossy purple of callicarpa, plus many that have red or orange fruits.