10 minute read
Adam on making the most of autumn
After taking on a new garden this year and dealing with the dry, hot summer, autumn has never felt more welcome. For me, this has always been a time of celebration, and a time to take a moment and enjoy the season. Misty mornings, dew-covered cobwebs and the lowering of the light in the sky, which in itself can be used to spot or back-light plants, start to drive a change in the atmosphere outside your back door. Autumn can be a fast-changing season, with plants starting to decay at varying rhythms. Something magical starts to happen, and I love that change of pace – rich leaf colour, ageing seedheads and still a good show of f lowers.
So why do so many people see autumn as a time to tidy up and put the garden to bed for winter? There’s so much still to enjoy and, best of all, autumn is a great time to look at your garden and start to understand the structure and form of your planting. When it comes to planting design, I tend to look at my gardens in layers, from the upper canopy of larger trees through to the medium-to-small trees, then down to shrubs, perennials and bulbs. This not only helps me provide the garden with a good backbone but also gives me the opportunity to develop real seasonal interest. So, within each layer of planting, I want to understand what each group brings to the party, particularly as the season draws to a close.
For autumn I like to develop the diversity of textures, leaf types and foliage colours. The shapes of f lowers and seedheads are also important, as are plants that will hold great form as we move into the winter months. I want the plants in my garden to work hard, not just to be enjoyed for the beauty of their sometimes-f leeting f lowers.
Added to that, the garden is not just for me – it’s also for the wildlife I share it with. How we maintain our gardens can play a large part in this, and if we are a little too tidy, we can miss out on some wonderful moments. One of my best memories from last year was watching on as the goldfinches pillaged the seedheads I had left in the garden.
A lot of our late-summer f lowering plants will carry great seedheads into the winter. Grasses can provide softer colours that play wonderfully with light. Shrubs and trees provide intense, rich leaf colours from crimson to gold as the season moves on. Frost, winter sun and wind can all help dictate the mood of your garden, and the relationship between the elements and our plants is key to any good planting scheme.
If, like me, summer has left you with a few gaps, now is a great time to get planting while the soil is still warm and there is moisture in the air. Have you places that lack autumn interest? If so, read on to discover my favourite plants to give your garden a boost now and in the winter months to come.
Adam’s pick of autumn performers
Now’s a great time to plant any of Adam’s top choices for a late-season display in years to come
Deschampsia cespitosa
A native grass that forms hairy mounds of darkgreen foliage. Flowers are cloud-like and the plant works in sun or semi-shade. It colours beautifully as the season moves on, with both flower and leaves turning a soft beige. It works really well with herbaceous planting, and does like a little moisture in summer to look its best. Height x spread 1.2m x 75cm
Eryngium yuccifolium
A good one for dry gardens – it loves mine! This is what I would call a dramatic plant that holds good architectural presence. The flowers sit a metre or so high above the sword-like foliage. The thistle-like flowers are a greenishwhite and will hold themselves well into winter and look great worked in with ornamental grasses. H x S 1.2m x 1m
Hydrangea quercifolia
A striking plant that has become a bit of a go-to. It’s rounded in form and carries large oak-shaped leaves that turn a deep, rich red. I also love the bark, which is tan in colour and slowly sheds as the plant ages. Its creamy white flowers appear from early summer, turning pink through to a deep red as autumn arrives. H x S 1.5m x 2m
Molinia caerulea ‘Moorhexe’
A hard-working, compact grass that is narrow and upright, so works well in a smaller place. It flowers through the summer months, then in late autumn the leaves turn to rusty red. This plant really does flower its heart out. I have used it in full sun or part shade and it does not seem overly fussy. Just make sure the drainage is reasonable. H x S 40cm x 20cm
Symphyotrichum turbinellum
This plant produces a mass of smallish flowers which bees and butterflies flock to – but what I really love is the near-black stems. It will work on most soils, and in sun or part shade. It will flower well into autumn and works well with rudbeckias and taller grasses – a great one for a little late joy. H x S 1.2m x 60cm
Phlomis russeliana
A plant that has good presence all year round. It has wonderful, gradually spreading clumps of large, soft, heart-shaped leaves and spikes of rich, yellow flowers. Tough and long-lived with a really strong form, this plant comes into its own in the winter, when the spent flower spikes are covered in frost. Happiest in a sunny spot. H x S 90cm x 75cm
Hylotelephium ‘Matrona’
For me this is one of the best sedums. An upright perennial with large, fleshy purpleflushed leaves, carried on deep-red stems. From late summer it’s covered with clusters of pale pink flowers that hold well into late autumn. As winter arrives the whole plant can brown but will still hold up well, providing a strong form through the year-end. H x S 75 x 30cm
Eupatorium dubium ‘Baby Joe’
This little plant puts on a good performance and it’s shorter than other eupatoriums. The fluffy, mauve flowers are held on purple stems that put on a show into autumn. As the seedheads dry they offer lovely winter interest. Goes well with grasses, veronicastrum and echinacea, and grows in sun or part shade. H x S 1m x 80cm
Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’
A clump-forming perennial grass with striking, blue-green leaf colour, which takes on tones of purple, burgundy and red in late summer, and then forms stiff clumps that continue through winter. Tiny purplish-red flowers at the end of wiry stems from late summer into autumn. Loves a sunny spot. H x S 90cm x 30cm
Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’
This anemone gives an autumn border a boost like late summer sun. It has simple, opencupped, white flowers that can hold a tinge of pink on the underside. It makes a great autumn focal point in a large container or border, and is happy in either full sun or partial shade. H x S 1.2m x 1.2m
With P&O Cruises, you can sail to 70 countries and up to 200 destinations, including some of the world’s most stunning locations, which is great news if you’re a keen gardener. After all, part of the thrill of going on holiday for you will be discovering new exotic species and admiring the best plant collections on the planet.
Experience new horizons
With the varied itineraries offered by P&O Cruises, the world truly is your oyster. Here are just a few of the incredible destinations you can visit, and the unforgettable horticultural wonders waiting for you at each one...
Barcelona – If you’re stopping in Barcelona, make time to investigate Parc Güell with its famous panoramic views of the city. At more than 17 hectares, you’ll find a wide variety of plant species here, including Aleppo pines, olive trees, carob trees, magnolias, wisteria and aromatic plants, such as rosemary and lavender, along with the architect Gaudí’s fascinating house, which is open for you to explore.
Valencia – Spain is Europe’s largest orange producer and two-thirds of the country’s harvest comes from Valencia, so the Orange Orchard Experience here is a must. Visiting Carcaixent on the picturesque Orange Blossom Coast, you’ll stroll through one of the region’s most impressive orchards, with ancient trees that bear white blossom in the spring and groan under the weight of up to 500 fragrant oranges each in the autumn. In this peaceful setting, you can enjoy tasting a variety of produce, including orange liqueur and tangy marmalade.
Martinique – You’ll be spoiled for natural beauty in the Caribbean with its pristine whitesand beaches and aquamarine waters, but for something more cultivated, head to Martinique’s famous Clément Plantation House. Here you’ll find a historic rum distillery (where you can learn about its history and sample rum) and an open-air contemporary art gallery, but the real gem is the stunning botanical garden. It features a collection of more than 300 tropical plants and includes a palm grove with 30 different species, a sugar cane field and a sculpture garden.
St Kitts – A cruise that stops in St Kitts will give you the chance to immerse yourself in Caribbean cuisine with a cooking lesson at Fairview Great House, a 300-year-old former colonial residence. But don’t miss the chance to take a stroll through the lush botanical gardens afterwards. Overlooking the sparkling Caribbean Sea, this tropical oasis is picture perfect – just keep an eye out for the vervet monkeys, which love to eat from the gardens’ multitude of fruit trees.
Norwegian Fjords – You’ll get up close to majestic mountains and waterfalls, and take in breathtaking locations such as Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in this tranquil region of Norway, but you’ll find a visit to the charming village of Nordfjordeid from Olden equally rewarding. You can stroll along the banks of the river and relax in Saga Park, which features a beach with fantastic views across the fjord, while the restful Viking Park is home to the Viking King’s grave, which dates back to 876.
Take in the lush beauty of the Caribbean
On-board delights
And the memorable experiences don’t just lie ashore with P&O Cruises – especially with its two newest ships. Arvia, which is joining the fleet in December, sails to the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, and Iona, the most recent addition, sails to the Norwegian Fjords and parts of Europe. Both ships are powered by liquified natural gas and offer world-class facilities that will take your cruise holiday to a whole new level.
Arvia features an impressive 12 restaurants, including Green & Co, which serves exquisitely crafted plant-based dishes, as well as sushi courtesy of Mizuhana. Iona, meanwhile, is home to the world’s first gin distillery at sea, built in collaboration with the award-winning Salcombe Distilling Co.
If you want to indulge your culinary passions further, you can even take a Food Hero cruise and enjoy live cooking demos with a star-studded line-up of chefs such as Marco Pierre White and Norwegian favourite Kjartan Skjelde. For a spot of pampering, you should visit the spa for a treatment or two. Then come the evening, you can look forward to a variety of entertainment from thrilling world-class acrobatic displays to musical performances.
Win an epic 7-night Norwegian Fjords holiday!
If you’re itching to get away on an exciting holiday, you’ll want to enter this competition. You could win one of three Balcony cabins for two on a 7-night cruise to the Norwegian Fjords. Plus, you’ll receive £40 0 on-board spending money per cabin!*
