6 minute read
Autumn Splendour
AUTUMN Splendour Summer’s on the run – but there’s still plenty of colour to be had in the garden. Flo Whitaker chooses six of the best shrubs for autumn
The cornus family is a diverse, extensive tribe, containing varieties such as ‘Midwinter Fire’ and ‘Anny’s Winter Orange’. With names like that, you don’t need to be familiar with the genus to realise that no autumnal border is complete without them. Some varieties can become large, so, if space is limited, choose types, (such as the above), that tolerate being cut back hard, (about 5cms above soil level) in spring. An annual haircut will keep them under control and also maintain the best stem colour.
Hydrangeas papery blooms are a quintessential part of autumn, but Hydrangea quercifolia goes one stage further, bearing unusually large oak-leaf shaped leaves in glowing red and russet shades. Mature plants reach a substantial size and are often as wide as they are tall, (approx. 2 metres).
Hardworking hardy fuchsias will keep on blooming until the first frosts and are undemanding, although moist soil in light shade is their preferred location. Elegant ‘Hawkshead’, with slender white flowers lights up a dull corner, whereas ‘Mrs Popple’, (an old Victorian variety) bears plump flowers in jewellike ruby and purple. Hardiest of all fuchsias are the tall ‘hedging’ forms. They make sizeable bushy plants with goodlooking autumnal foliage and live practically forever. Euonymus, or ‘Spindle’, (so-called because its wood was used to make thread
spindles) is a star of autumn, with deciduous foliage in a bonfire blaze of colours and extraordinary winged fruits on fine, trembling stems. Euonymus makes a large, multi-stemmed plant or small tree and is indigenous to northern Europe – you may notice the native form growing in Sussex hedgerows. There are also many garden varieties to choose from.
Cotoneaster horizontalis is considered old-fashioned these days, but please ignore such nonsense. Its visually-arresting stems make herringbone patterns, fanning upwards and outwards, with tiny leaves in darkest green. Come summer, dainty, Hydrangeas papery blooms are a quintessential part of autumn
nectar-rich flowers attract every bee in the neighbourhood. Late autumn brings a fiery display of berries, as the foliage reddens and falls, revealing a wintry skeletal outline. It really is a plant for all seasons.
Members of the cotinus family, often regarded as a boring municipal planting choice for soulless car parks and traffic islands, have much to offer. Given good, moisture-retentive soil, cotinus thrives for years and offers a long season of interest. An open, sunny spot will produce the best leaf colour. Some forms reach substantial proportions, but they respond well to cutting back in spring – if you’re a keen flower arranger, an annual prune also has the advantage of keeping the leaves smaller. Known as ‘Smoke Bush’, cotinus produce eye-catching plumes of flowers in summer, but autumn is when they really sing, with foliage in shades of coppery brown to deep plum; nicely complimenting other autumn lovelies such as dahlias and chrysanthemums. l
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE IN THE YEAR TO START YOUR LAWN CARE JOURNEY!
Call today to arrange a free, no obligation quote. Let us do the hard work this autumn ready for you to sit back and enjoy your lawn for the whole season next year
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It’s been a tough summer for lawns. With the summer months drawing to a close, now is a great time to give your lawn some extra TLC. Follow these simple tips to get your lawn into good shape before winter sets in and ready for spring next year.
Late Summer Feed
Apply a fertiliser to help prepare the lawn for Autumn and Winter. Our nutrient-rich fertiliser slow releases for 4 – 5 months and our selective herbicides will take care of any weeds which have popped up towards the end of the summer.
Scarify to allow fresh growth
If your lawn has suffered from the dry weather this summer, feels spongey underfoot or has excess moss, it may need scarifying. Scarifying removes excess thatch enabling the better flow of air, nutrients, and moisture to the roots, resulting in a healthier lawn, and creating space for new fresh grass to grow through.
Aerate for better root development
All soil types can become compacted, especially in periods of dry weather. Compaction prevents free drainage of water, hinders microbial activity, and affects root development, all of which means a thinner, weaker lawn and more than likely, more moss. Hollow tine aeration removes small cores of soil, thereby reducing compaction and improving the overall health of your lawn.
Attend to bare areas
Seed bare patches where the lawn has not recovered (or has given up!). Apart from looking unsightly, thin, and bare areas invite moss, undesirable grasses & weeds.
Mowing
As the days and evenings cool and we see wetter weather, start bringing the height of the cut down to 1inch/2.5cm. Collect the clippings to prevent possible disease problems in damp weather and avoid mowing in wet or frosty conditions, as this can damage the grass.
Leatherjackets
You may be familiar with these unwelcome visitors to your garden and the damage they can do to your lawn.
In cold winters, they tend to sit lower in the soil so you may not notice damage until spring. In mild winters, the larvae feed through the winter and can be large enough to cause significant lawn problems by late winter. They are best treated when they are small, early autumn, so if you have had problems with them before or have relatively new turf, take preventive action early on…or it could be too late.
Need a New Lawn?
There are times, even with best endeavours, that your lawn does not meet your expectations. It might be decades old, or the dry weather has meant it’s become a patchwork of coarse weed-grasses. We offer a range of seeding options, all at a fraction of the cost of returfing.
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