IN THE GARDEN
With its compact form ranging up to a metre (2-3 ft) in height, the Japanese Barberry ‘Orange Sunrise’ is a sunrise in shrub form. Sun-loving and bold, its springtime blooms are just the prelude to its starring act. As other plants start to wane, this barberry maintains its fiery orange, often crimson foliage, with bright golden edges, casting a warm and welcoming glow over the garden throughout late autumn.
Offering a riot of colour during the autumnal months, Chrysanthemum will flower up until November or the first hard frost, and offers many different styles of blooms from mop-head and pom-pom, to daisy-like, in a stunning range of colours.
Thriving in a full sun or a dappled shady spot, it can grow from 30-90cm (1-3ft), depending on the variety.
The name comes from the Greek words ‘khrusos’ meaning gold, and ‘anthemon’ meaning flower.
With heights varying across species, Persicarias affinis dances in full sun or partial shade with its lollipop spikes of pink blooms which are loved by pollinators. Right through early autumn, this charming, easy to grow perennial paints the garden with its long-lasting blooms and semi-evergreen foliage.
Great to use as ground cover, the mat-forming creeper loves moisture-retentive soil. Congested clumps can be divided every few years to form more plants for free.
Masses of brilliant, reddish-pink, trumpet-shaped flowers which bloom well into October, make this a late summer and early autumn showstopper in the garden. Best positioned in full sun to partial shade, and reaching a height of around 2-3m (6-10ft), it can be pruned in late winter to a pair of strong buds about 15cm (6in) above the ground.
With its cheerful yellow-green, glossy foliage, this evergreen shrub is known as Mexican Orange Blossom due to its delightful sweet, citrus scent. With a height and spread up to 2m (6ft), it is best positioned in full sun to partial shade.
Although the delicate, white blooms generally appear in spring, it is the glossy foliage that keeps the garden vibrant through early autumn.
Architectural cushions of silver-blue, needle-like foliage, reaching no more than 30cm (12in) high seamlessly transition from summer to autumn. Looking good all year round in a sunny spot in the garden, the foliage actually becomes more intense in colour during autumn and winter. Comb through the foliage in spring to remove dead leaves and flower plumes.