While many of us are naturally drawn to spring and summer-flowering bulbs, it's important not to forget about the colder months of the year as well and the beauty these autumn plants can bring to our gardens, even if we're not spending as much time outdoors.
Along with winter bedding plants, there are plenty of shrubs, trees and climbers that you can plant to ensure your outdoor space is vibrant with colour and truly make the most of autumn. Mark Lane, Stannah’s gardening expertand BBC gardening presenter tells us all about the ten best plants for autumn flowering.
Arbutus unedo
The strawberry tree. A spreading shrub which looks spectacular in autumn, with white-pink flowers between September and November at the same time as the fruit, produced last year, turns red. The fruit may look like strawberries, but alas don’t taste like them. A brilliant plant for a coastal area. It does, however, do best in a sheltered spot. 8m (h) x 8m (w)
Mahonia eurybracteata subsp ganpinensis ‘Soft Caress’
The first mahonia to have spine-free leaves, making it a very tactile plant. It’s evergreen and sends up yellow racemes of flowers from August to October. Plant it near a seating area so that you can continually caress it. It was winner of ‘Plant of the Year’ at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2013. 1m (h) x 1m (w)
Camellia sasanqua ‘Red’
Autumn flowering camellia. This evergreen shrub, looking good for 12 months of the year, is covered in pink-red blooms from October to December. The wonderful thing about this plant is that it’s more compact than others and will grow happily in a large pot in full sun. 3m (h) x 3m (w)
Calluna vulgaris ‘Teresa’
Scots heather. From August to October, this low-growing shrub is covered in small magenta buds that partially open all the way up the upright stems. A great addition for pots, borders, alpine beds, window boxes and living walls in full sun. Perhaps plant this below the Camellia mentioned above for a knockout autumnal display.
Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’
Every garden should have at least one viburnum. This plant flowers from November to March with clusters of fragrant, dark pink flowers on bare stems. Plant it near the front or back door to enjoy it’s delicious sweet scent. It is deciduous, ie it loses it’s leaves over autumn/winter, but the flowers make up for the bare stems. It will grow in full sun and partial shade. 3m (h) x 2m (w)
Liriope muscari
Big blue lily-turf. An underrated useful plant which will grow in partial or full shade, once established. Evergreen, dark green, blade-like leaves give 12 months of interest, but between August and November is has stiff, upright stems that are covered in deep violet flowers. Use this to edge pathways or to fill that awkward corner of the garden. 30cm (h) x 45cm (w)
Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora ‘Emily Mckenzie’
Monbretia. For some golden flowers, splashed with red, from August to October you cannot beat this wonderful perennial. Plant this in bold drifts through your borders so that they come ablaze with sunshine colour on grey autumnal days. 60cm (h) x 80cm (w)
Rudbeckia fulgida var. sulvantii ‘Goldsturm’
Coneflower. The perfect flowering plant for colour and to attract wildlife into your garden. The large bright-yellow daisy-like flowers can grow to 12cm across with a prominent black cone in the centre from August to October. Another plant to grow in bold drifts mixed with ornamental grasses for an autumnal garden to be proud of. 60cm (h) x 45cm (w)
Actaea ‘Queen of Sheba’
Baneberry or cimicifuga. For a wonderful, dramatic plant for partial shade, this is hard to beat. Reaching 2.4m in height, towering above most gardeners, this forms clumps of purple foliage, but between August and October pink-white bottlebrush-like flower spikes that gently cascade as they bend forwards, last well into autumn with their faded blooms. A great plant for a dramatic silhouette on dark, cold days, especially when lit from above. 2.4m (h) x 60cm (w)
Colchicum ‘Lilac Wonder’
Autumn crocus or ‘naked ladies’. These hardy bulbs send up goblet-shaped, deep pink-lilac flowers from September to the end of October. The perfect bulb for naturalising in the lawn. This bulb will also flower if left on a bright windowsill, without soil. It’s one of those plants that you have to get down low to enjoy its beauty. Alternatively, plant in alpine dishes/containers and place on a garden table. 15cm (h) x 10cm (w)