As Summer draws to a close, many gardens can start to look a little tired. But autumn is far from the end of the gardening year. With the right plants, your outdoor space can come alive!
With the right plants, your outdoor space can come alive with rich tones of red, gold, orange, and purple – keeping your garden vibrant right through the season. At Hildreth’s Garden Centre, we love helping gardeners choose plants that bring warmth and beauty to autumn borders, pots, and patios.
Our top tips are to mix foliage and flowers by combining trees, shrubs, and perennials for layers of seasonal interest. Use pots filled with asters, chrysanthemums, and heucheras for movable displays and think ahead! Many autumn stars also offer spring or summer beauty, so they earn their place year-round.
Here are some of the best autumn plants to add a splash of colour to your garden this season:
Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum)
Few plants rival the fiery autumn display of a Japanese Maple. Their delicate leaves transform into glowing shades of scarlet, crimson, and amber, making them a stunning focal point in any garden. They thrive in sheltered spots with dappled shade and look especially beautiful in containers.
Autumn-flowering Asters
Also known as Michaelmas daisies, asters produce a mass of dainty, daisy-like flowers in purple, blue, and pink well into October. They’re perfect for brightening up borders when many other perennials have finished flowering, and they’re pollinator-friendly too.
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums are classic autumn bloomers. With their bold, cheerful flowers in yellows, oranges, and reds, they provide a long-lasting burst of colour in pots and beds. They’re ideal for adding instant seasonal cheer to patios and entrances.
Callicarpa (Beautyberry)
For something a little different, Callicarpa produces striking clusters of vivid purple berries in autumn. These jewel-like fruits stand out against the fading foliage and provide valuable interest when flowers are scarce.
Cotinus (Smoke Bush)
With deep purple leaves that turn rich shades of red and orange, Cotinus adds drama and depth to the autumn garden. Their smoky, plume-like flowers earlier in the year also make them a year-round favourite.
Heucheras
Heucheras are hardy perennials with colourful foliage in shades of caramel, lime, and burgundy. Perfect for borders, edges, or containers, they provide long-lasting colour that looks fantastic well into autumn and winter.
Rowan Trees (Sorbus)
Rowan trees are a wonderful choice for small gardens. In autumn, their leaves turn golden, and their clusters of red, orange, or yellow berries shine brightly, providing food for birds and a seasonal focal point.
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