Blog: the emphasis shifts from flowers to mellow foliage
Autumn creeps up on me every year with its mellow beauty – the best plants for October gardens will see an emphasis on leaf colour and shape. Of course, there’s the odd flower to brighten up the mellow palette.
Despite a couple of early frosts that had me scurrying to get anything tender indoors, it’s been a mild, wet month. Here’s how my gardening month has gone… Read more on the best autumn garden colours. Here’s more about my garden in pictures for November.
Tender plants
Vanessa and I scrubbed the conservatory from ceiling to floor, removing all plants, decorating gubbins and staging. That’s some task considering it’s up a flight of stairs! It took us five days of hard graft, but everything vulnerable to cold and wet is now under glass.
The elephant ears (Colocasia or taro) have been my stars of summer, and the first time I’ve grown them. Much easier than anticipated, I’ve brought them upstairs and am reducing their water. This has resulted in fabulous yellows as the leaves die back. You need a temperature of 21 °C for them to keep their leaves.
Best plants for October gardens – Ornamental leaves
Acers (Japanese maples) are the obvious stars of the show. While A. Trompenburg’s deep purple leaves turn a brilliant scarlet, it can often be affected by weather extremes. My newest tree, A. shirasawanum Jordan (Full Moon maple), seems to stand up better to drying winds. Its lime-green summer foliage is changing daily, turning from yellow to amber and finally red.
Try these leafy autumnal lovelies:
- Geranium Purple Haze: This wonderful cranesbill’s leaves turn from purple to red before falling.
- Eucalyptus gunnii: A good-looker all year round. Now, those blue-tinged young rounded leaves come into their own throughout winter.
- Rosa glauca: The blue-leaved rose’s foliage turns yellow and drops, providing a beautiful, fleeting backdrop to its jewel-like red hips.
- Euphorbia griffithii Fireglow: Before the leaves drop, they explode in a whirl of red, yellow, orange and amber.
- Hostas: This large-leaved variegated hosta turns bright yellow way ahead of its neighbour, Canadian Blue, providing a stunning contrast.
- Acanthus Tasmanian Angel: I thought this variegated bear’s breeches had expired. However, it has risen from the dead like a ghost in pure white! It seriously needs some green to get strength.
Ornamental plants – Flowers
October can be a tricky month for flowers, but asters are a go-to, especially the lovely dwarf Barbados. It has none of the ‘wishy-washy’ shades often associated with the Michaelmas daisy. Its pure lilac petals around a deep yellow centre are ideal for borders and pots.
Other notables this month are:
- Persicaria Red Dragon: Its lovely leaves are a perfect foil for the delicate, creamy-white blooms.
- Claire Austin climbing rose: Often goes on until December and has plenty of buds still to come.
- James Galway climbing rose: Its final flowers, but still lovely.
- Hardy fuchsia Rufus the Red: Bought with fuchsia Star Wars, it’s by far the best, more tolerant of extreme conditions.
- Astrantia Buckland: It started blooming in March and has a second flush after being cut back.
- Nasturtium Chameleon: Self-seeded, the colour-changing flowers will continue until the first heavy frost.
Best plants for October gardens – edible plants
We’re still eating the last of the tomatoes, peppers and chillies – the tomatoes win hands down for ease and performance. Another top crop this year is the British-bred climbing courgette Shooting Star. Not only is it pretty and yellow, but it also has a definite flavour. It’s still cropping at the end of October in NE England! Read more about my garden in October.
