GARDENING

from The Bristol Magazine October 2020

Updates from local schools, colleges and educators

With summer’s fanfare behind us, it’s time to seek out new attractions. Frost-covered sedum makes for a pretty focal point

Seasonal stars

It’s getting chillier, days are shorter and all the signs of autumn are here, but there’s no need to put the garden into cold storage until spring, says Elly West

Year-round interest is high on most people’s garden wish list, and there are plenty of plants to choose from that will keep the colour coming. With summer’s fanfare behind us, it’s time to seek out new attractions. Some plants continue to offer vibrant flowers, but the forthcoming season also brings the more subtle charms of berries, fruits, leaves and stems. It just takes a bit of planning for a garden that will bring surprises and fresh elements to enjoy whatever the time of year.

When I’m designing a border I usually aim for a mix of evergreen and deciduous shrubs, flowering perennials, grasses and bulbs, so that even the smallest space rings seasonal changes. I keep a mental scorecard, with around a quarter of the plants at their best (or at least doing something) for each season, to maintain continuity and balance, and to prevent the garden looking too static.

But plants are notorious for not obeying the rules. Who hasn’t experienced the joy and mystery of a rogue flower, totally out of season? As I write this in September, I’m looking at a sprinkling of burgundy goblet blooms on my Magnolia ‘Susan’, a spring-flowering show-stopper in my front garden. And with semi-decent weather and a sheltered spot, many summer flowering plants don’t seem to realise they are supposed to be having a rest, and will keep going until the first frosts and beyond. It’s not uncommon for pelargoniums and even roses to throw out the odd flower into November and December. Maybe it’s a result of climate change, but I’m not complaining. Late bloomers such as sedums, heleniums and red-hot pokers will bring fiery colour through autumn, prolonging the warmth of summer into the cooler months. And there are many flowering shrubs that are grown for their cold-weather displays, including winter jasmine, witch hazel and mahonia.

It’s the evergreen shrubs that provide the backbone of the winter garden, often going unnoticed in summer but providing necessary structure in autumn and winter, especially beautiful with a light frost and spidery dew-laden cobwebs sparkling in the sunlight. Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’, any kind of topiary, and architectural plants such as phormiums or fatsia can play starring roles over the next few months. Variegated evergreens are also a good choice, great for brightening a shady corner. Try green and white Euonymus fortunei ‘Silver Queen’, which can be trained against a fence or wall.

Where space is at a premium, each plant has to pull its weight, preferably with seasonal changes to look forward to. This is why I think every garden should have at least one tree. A crab apple, for example,

Aim for a mix of evergreen and deciduous shrubs, flowering perennials, grasses and bulbs, so that even the smallest space rings seasonal changes

will provide spring blossom, fresh green leaves, fruits and autumn colour, plus height and structure all year long. The leaves of Japanese maples are glowing with autumn shades of red, orange and yellow right now. And, of course, silver birch is a classic for its distinctive white, papery bark, all the more striking in winter when the leaves fall. I also love dogwoods for their colourful branches. Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’ is a particular favourite, with glowing stems in shades of orange, pink, red and yellow through the winter.

Grasses add movement to the border and a restful pause in summer between more exuberant flowering plants. It’s a partnership that works with a raft of perennials such as achilleas, geraniums and salvias, which intermingle with the strappy blades and late-summer seedheads. Then when the perennials die back, the grasses become more prominent. Pheasant’s tail grass (Anemanthele lessoniana) turns to warm shades of russet brown at this time of year, and has a beautiful arching habit.

Berries can be just as vibrant as flowers, and are great for wildlife. Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’ also goes by the name of beauty berry, and it’s easy to see why. The clusters of unusual, violet, jewel-like berries appear in autumn and remain long after the plant has lost its leaves. Cotoneaster, holly and (if you can bear the thorns) pyracantha, also put on great displays of berried treasures. Wildlife will also appreciate any seedheads that are left on the plant for as long as possible, attracting birds and small mammals, as well as looking particularly decorative on a frosty morning. Rudbeckia, sea holly, phlomis and the silver-coin-like seedheads of annual honesty all hold their own in the autumn and winter garden.

Containers give a fading garden an instant boost – most garden centres have seasonal displays of bedding plants and small shrubs that are looking good now and suitable for pots. Try a permanent centrepiece, such as a compact pittosporum, grass or viburnum for structure, surrounded by pansies, cyclamen or winter-flowering heathers. Hellebores also make good container plants, where the delicate beauty of their nodding winter flowers won’t be overlooked. Think about scent as well. A flowering Daphne odorata or Sarcococca confusa in a pot near the front door will waft its sweet perfume and give you a boost every time you brush past.

I love bulbs all year round for their ability to surprise us. When they are dormant we forget they are there until the tips of green shoots push once again through the soil. In spring they are everywhere, but there are plenty for autumn and winter too. Nerines, autumn crocus, colchicums, winter aconites and then early snowdrops and Iris reticulata will keep things going through those darker months.

• ellyswellies.co.uk

Plant of the month: Nerines

Candy-pink Nerine bowdenii is a South African bulb that is hard to ignore with its showy display of lily-like autumn flowers. Plants like a sunny, sheltered spot and slightly congested roots, but dislike being disturbed, so if you move a clump you may have to wait a year or two before they flower again. Poor soil suits them well, while richer soil and shade will encourage lots of leaves rather than flowers.

They are also happy in pots. Tidy up the leaves as they die back, and remove faded flowers to keep plants looking neat and to encourage more blooms. Bulbs should be planted in autumn with the neck of the bulb just exposed above the level of the soil. Leaves appear in spring, then die back at the end of the summer before the flowers appear.