A GARDEN THROUGH THE SEASONS: AUTUMN
In autumn, the garden changes almost daily. Flower beds that were full of blooms just weeks ago take on softer tones, ornamental grasses turn golden, and trees and shrubs gradually bring vibrant autumn colour to the garden.
This is when the value of thoughtful planting design becomes especially clear. In a garden planned to look beautiful throughout the seasons, flower beds don't become empty once summer flowering comes to an end. Some plants fade into the background, while others are only now reaching their peak.
Continuing our series on gardens through the seasons, we turn our attention to autumn and explore how to keep a garden looking beautiful right through to winter.
HOW DO FLOWER BEDS CHANGE IN AUTUMN?
When designing perennial planting schemes, we consider how they will look at different stages of the season. Plants vary in their flowering times, growth habits and periods of ornamental interest. Together, these characteristics keep flower beds visually interesting for months.
By autumn, many plants have long finished flowering, but their lush foliage continues to fill out the borders, providing a backdrop for those that are only now coming into their own.
Autumn asters stand out against this backdrop. Their white, pink and purple flowers bring colour to the garden when many summer-flowering perennials have already faded. White wood aster (Aster divaricatus) creates a softer, more natural effect, with masses of tiny white flowers forming loose, airy clumps.
Japanese anemones (Anemone japonica ‘Honorine Jobert’, ‘Königin Charlotte’ and ‘Lorelei’) hold their elegant flowers above the surrounding plants. Sweet coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eilers’) adds warm yellow accents to the borders, while in partially shaded areas, the unusual spotted flowers of hairy toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta ‘Miyazaki’) draw the eye.
ORNAMENTAL GRASSES TAKE CENTRE STAGE
Autumn is the season when ornamental grasses really come into their own. In summer, they often complement flowering perennials, but as the season progresses, they become one of the main features of the planting.
By autumn, their flower heads have fully developed, the foliage takes on shades of gold and bronze, and their delicate structure brings a different character to planting schemes than flowering perennials alone.
Moor grasses (Molinia) are particularly striking and reliable. The tall, fine flower stems of Molinia arundinacea ‘Transparent’ rise above neighbouring plants, creating an airy, almost transparent layer. Rather than blocking the view, they add depth and lightness to the planting. The more compact Molinia caerulea ‘Moorhexe’, meanwhile, provides a stronger vertical accent.
Feather reed grasses (Calamagrostis) bring a different character to the garden. Calamagrostis brachytricha, commonly known as Korean feather reed grass, stands out in autumn with its soft, fluffy flower heads. At the same time, Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ maintains strong, upright stems that give structure to the planting.
Chinese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis) forms large, impressive clumps, with flower plumes and foliage turning warm shades of straw, gold and bronze in autumn. It works particularly well in larger planting schemes where height and volume are needed.
Tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’), autumn moor grass (Sesleria autumnalis) and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) introduce finer textures and contrasting growth habits.
The particular beauty of ornamental grasses becomes apparent in movement and light. They sway gently in the wind, while the low autumn sun catches their flower heads, creating an interplay of light and shadow. Their open, airy forms allow glimpses of the plants growing behind them, adding a sense of lightness to the entire composition.
TREES AND SHRUBS BRING COLOUR TO THE AUTUMN GARDEN
As textures take on a greater role in flower beds, trees and shrubs bring the most vibrant colours to the autumn garden.
One of the finest examples is Juneberry (Amelanchier lamarckii). In spring, it produces delicate white flowers, followed by dark berries in summer. By autumn, its foliage turns shades of orange and red. Grown as a multi-stem tree, it retains a distinctive silhouette even after the leaves have fallen.
Maples (Acer) are particularly impressive at this time of year. Depending on the species and cultivar, their foliage can turn vivid shades of yellow, orange and red. Freeman maple (Acer × freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’), for example, is well known for its brilliant autumn colour.
Winged spindle (Euonymus alatus) turns an almost fiery red in autumn, while European spindle (Euonymus europaeus) offers both colourful foliage and distinctive pink fruit capsules.
Rowans (Sorbus), viburnums (Viburnum) and ornamental crab apples (Malus) add colour to the autumn garden through their fruits. Among the crab apples, cultivars such as ‘Red Sentinel’, ‘Evereste’ and ‘Rudolph’ are particularly attractive. Depending on the cultivar, their small fruits may remain on the branches long after the leaves have fallen.
European beech (Fagus sylvatica) takes on warm copper and brown tones. In clipped beech hedges, much of the foliage can remain in place throughout winter, helping to maintain a clear sense of structure and enclosure in the garden.
Another interesting autumn feature is seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides). It flowers in late summer and early autumn, followed by pinkish-red calyces that extend its ornamental interest. Once the leaves have fallen, its attractive peeling bark becomes more noticeable.
In a small garden, a single striking tree can become the main seasonal feature. In a larger landscape, groups of different trees and shrubs can create a richer autumn display, with colours changing gradually as the season progresses.
DON'T CUT BACK YOUR PERENNIALS TOO SOON
As winter approaches, many garden owners try to tidy their flower beds as thoroughly as possible by cutting back all perennials that have finished flowering. But we recommend waiting a little longer.
Many plants retain their distinctive shapes long after their flowers have faded. The dark, rounded seed heads of coneflowers (Echinacea), the flat flower heads of yarrow (Achillea), the strong silhouettes of sea hollies (Eryngium) and globe thistles (Echinops), and the delicate forms of burnets (Sanguisorba) continue to add interest to flower beds well beyond the flowering season. Stonecrop, such as Sedum telephium ‘Matrona’, is particularly attractive. It produces masses of vibrant pink flowers in late summer and autumn, then retains sturdy stems and decorative flower heads that gradually deepen in colour.
The same applies to panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata). In autumn, their flower heads gradually change colour, taking on shades of pink and red before fading to creamy brown. Even after flowering, hydrangeas can remain highly ornamental, so there is no need to remove all the spent blooms. Usually, it is enough to cut off those that are bending heavily or resting on the ground, leaving the others until spring, provided the branches are strong enough to withstand the weight of snow.
By leaving faded plants standing, we also preserve the volume and structure of our flower beds. Dry stems, ornamental grass plumes and hydrangea flower heads continue to shape the garden long after most of the foliage has disappeared.
These plantings are particularly beautiful on autumn mornings, when dew settles on the grass plumes. Later, the first frost outlines their delicate forms, and in winter, snow settles on the dry stems and flower heads. Even a light dusting of snow highlights the shapes of the plants, creating a garden scene that can be just as interesting as the summer display.
Of course, stems that collapse, begin to decay, or interfere with neighbouring plants can be cut back. But plants with sturdy stems and distinctive flower heads are worth leaving in place for as long as possible.
FROM AUTUMN INTO WINTER
As the leaves fall, the garden's underlying structure becomes increasingly important.
Evergreens, such as Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and mountain pine (Pinus mugo), provide year-round greenery and form a backdrop for dried ornamental grasses and the silhouettes of perennials.
Trees and shrubs with interesting branching patterns and decorative bark also become more prominent. For example, the bright red stems of certain varieties of red-barked dogwood (Cornus alba) stand out particularly well against dark conifers.
Hedges, paths, terraces and other structural elements of the garden also become more visible at this time of year. This is why, when designing a garden, it is important to consider the composition not only in spring and summer, when plants are at their fullest, but also when much of the foliage has disappeared.
Autumn is a good time to take a closer look at your garden. Notice which areas still look interesting, where the planting lacks volume, and whether there are plants that could provide stronger autumn accents.
And before you start tidying up the flower beds, consider what is worth leaving in place. Sometimes, it is the remaining flower heads and ornamental grasses that give the garden its character through the darkest months of the year.
