13:42 - 05 January 2010
The autumn provides the very best conditions for planting new trees and shrubs in your garden, especially following a wet and warm summer created perfect growing conditions for all types of plants, leaving the soil in just the right condition for adding new plants.
Celebrate autumn in style by adding to your existing garden. As your plants start to die back for winter it creates new spaces for new plants. Use this as the perfect opportunity to add new plants to the garden.
Gaps in the flower border can be filled with new perennials or planted with spring flowering bulbs. Check out the huge range of flowering bulbs available from your local garden centre.
Roses, trees and shrubs can all be planted now; in fact autumn and winter are the best seasons to plant, because many plants will be dormant and the soil will be moist. Check the growing needs of your chosen plant to ensure your garden provides the very best conditions for growth.
Garden Structure
Think about the structure of your border and choose plants that provide good interest for several seasons. Evergreen plants hold their foliage throughout the seasons but they aren’t’ always green. Look out for interesting foliage colours to add additional interest throughout the autumn and the winter.
Good plants include silver foliage plants such as the spiky Astelia (not fully hardy), Elaegnus ‘Quicksilver’, Buddleia ‘Silver Anniversary’ and lavenders. For rich evergreen purple foliage choose Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb. Rich yellow evergreen foliage can be added using Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’ or consider Elaegnus pungens ‘Maculata’ which has yellow leaves edged in green.
Autumn Colour
It’s not just evergreen plants that have great autumn interest. The foliage of most deciduous trees and shrubs take on stunning colours before they fall. Some, more than others have amazing autumn tints.
Look out for Japanese maples (Acer palmatum), which form small compact shrubs with attractive foliage and stunning autumn colours.
Known as the smoke bush, Cotinus ‘Grace’ is a large and vigorous shrub with soft purple-red leaves and scarlet autumn foliage.
The ultimate for autumn colour choose Liquidamber, which creates a dramatic statement. Rich burgundy red foliage lasts from September to November.
Planting rules
To get the best from your new tree or shrub it needs to be planted correctly. Make sure that the root ball is thoroughly moistened so that it makes good contact with the surrounding soil when it is planted.
Dig out a hole at least twice the size of the root ball, bigger if possible, and incorporate masses of soil conditioner or a quality planting compost into the soil to improve the planting area.
Use a small amount of Bone Meal to support the roots as they establish into the surrounding soil.
Firm in around the plant to close up any air pockets and water well. Watering washes small particles of soil into any air pockets and improves the contact of the root ball with the surrounding soil so that it can absorb moisture and the roots can establish more quickly.
