Autumn Planting

Over the years I have realised that time is fleeting, but the autumn months are some of the most special in the gardening year. However, they need to be planned for carefully. Yes, we can all plant a few Japanese Maples with their spectacular foliage colour, brightening those boring shady corners, but why not go the whole hog and make autumn a true spectacle. In our new woodland garden, while it might not rival Westonbirt, we have tried to plan for all seasons and autumn is rapidly becoming my favourite. I’m not sure if it is because we are clinging to every day as winter approaches, or that we just want to extend summer for as long as possible.

When life gets a bit on top of us, our garden is an escape. How wonderful is this little patch of ours that we mould and work tirelessly on, until it meets our expectation (not sure that it actually ever does, but sometimes it gets near). As the days shorten the garden is transformed into a kaleidoscope of colour, certainly not dull or boring, more alive and exciting – a cornucopia of every colour imaginable, easily matching those heady summer days. And there is something about evening autumnal light, for a fleeting moment you enter that ‘other world’ where everything is cloaked with an aura that is difficult to describe. It lasts for a maximum of ten minutes, and the weather has to be just right, but oh my goodness when you experience it – what you get is pure magic. You don’t get this in the summer!

So what do we plant to fulfil this, well take the Schizostylis, or as the RHS have now called them Hesperantha. With flamboyant yet graceful flower spikes that wave gently in the autumn breezes. And their colours, so bright and cheery, that seem to glow, especially as the sun gently sets. Schizostylis come in many shades of red and pink, right through palest pastels to white. They flower right up until Christmas, weather permitting, and are excellent cut flowers. So if the weather does close in suddenly you can bring a glimpse of their beauty indoors. Add to this that they are easy and love the wet Welsh weather and they have it all.

While we are here why not add a few other autumn beauties. Saxifraga fortunei and her recently added colourful floral babies (the Pixie Series) are more than worth a comment. The Fortune Saxifrage, originating in Japan has always been a firm favourite, its clouds of delicate flowers rolling down our woodland banks to mingle with the stunning blues of Strobilanthes that have been flowering for months and will continue to do so for a while yet. Now, with plant breeding forging ahead at a mesmerizing rate, we have the ‘Pixie series’ of Saxifrages, hybrids that have been bred by someone in a far-off land that are now very freely available. Their bright red, pink or white flowers are so spectacular that they almost look as if the belong in some artists creation, yet here they are on the benches at the nursery, looking so so beautiful. Their reddish fleshy leaves add to the attraction, giving colour throughout the growing year right until the first hard frost. Loving semi shade they make ideal partners to other woodland plants, looking wonderful with autumn Cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium) and double Autumn Crocus (Colchicum ‘Water Lily’). I have to say Colchicum is not one of my favourite plants yet this year it has exceeded all my expectations. With its smaller fully double soft pink flowers, thrust from the earth before the leaves appear and the small flowers of the cyclamen nestling amongst interestingly marked leaves – a truly magical, if unexpected, combination. Sometimes it just works!!

Back to Strobilanthes, a bit of a mouthful without adding the species. Even if you can’t pronounce it, this is a genus of plants that are, at present, one of our favourite groups. Matt, our manager, is currently compiling a list of these with the aim of applying for a National Collection (so if you have any that you think we don’t have please do contact us). Flowering from August until the first real frosts they are one of those unusual things that you just need to have – and they grow in semi shade, always a bonus. The flowers are mainly blue, although white does also appear in some species, and they have a rather unusual shape. Try one, you won’t regret it!!

The list of other autumnal plants that should be grown is endless, the colours superb, bright and spectacular. Often, but not exclusively in reds, oranges and yellows. So here are a few to whet your appetite with links to our website just in case you want to see more.