gardens
AUTUMN FLOWER POWER Head to THE NURSERY this autumn to ensure your garden is filled with blooms and prepared for a bumper spring too.
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ow is a great time to head over to The Nursery garden centre in Hilperton. “High summer may have been and gone but with our milder autumn conditions your garden can still look fantastic right up until the first frosts, which can sometimes not happen until the new year.” Says owner Matthew Webb. “Many prairie-style plants like rudbeckias, echinaceas and heleniums come into their prime in September, and their dramatic flowers add instant impact to any border. As well as looking fantastic, these later flowering perennials are bee-friendly, providing an important late season food source for insects. Another great option is the wonderful salvia ‘Amistad’. Though slightly on the tender side (it needs protection from very hard frosts) their beautiful deep purple flowers - on strong upright stems - perform brilliantly right through autumn. Customers have proudly told me they were still in flower on Christmas Day! "Grasses are also looking their best now as their lush green foliage gives way to striking seedheads. These look particularly effective planted alongside the laterflowering perennials I mentioned and continue to look good right through the winter (don’t chop them back until later winter/early spring and enjoy how they look covered in wintry frosts). They also act as important hiding places for overwintering insects like ladybirds." The warm autumn ground is ideal for planting trees. The Nursery has
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Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’
“Many prairie-style plants like rudbeckias, echinaceas and heleniums come into their prime in September, and their dramatic flowers add instant impact to any border.” one of the largest selections in the area. “Some people are nervous about planting trees, particularly if they have small gardens and don’t want something that gets too big.' continues Matthew. "Our knowledgeable staff can advise on the right tree for different spaces. Even the smallest garden can have a tree! Acers in particular offer superb autumn colour and stay pretty small, whilst our native rowan has dark green leaves which turn yellow and orange in autumn, and it’s large clusters of red berries are a great winter food source for birds.” Autumn is also classic bulb planting season. From daffodils and tulips to alliums, pop in to the centre for a huge selection of top quality bulbs that will ensure your garden is filled
with colourful blooms even in the depths of winter. They also have a huge range of winter bedding plants to keep you going too. • the-nursery.co.uk
Acers offer superb autumn colour
The selection of trees is one of the best around
