Gardeners are being urged to grow two trees in September that can give “gorgeous autumn colour” to the garden. With the start of autumn, gardeners have been preparing the lawn for the harsh months ahead.
However, as the bright days shorten, experts are suggesting to add more colours to the garden so that it continues to look bright and alive. According to the experts from Garsens, looking after your garden in autumn is a smart way to prepare it for the seasons ahead. It’s the perfect time to clean up flower beds, remove dead plants, and get everything ready for winter.
Autumn is also great for improving the soil by adding compost or nutrients, helping it stay healthy and fertile. Plus, planting new bulbs or hardy plants now means they’ll be ready to bloom beautifully in spring, giving your garden a strong and colourful start to the new year.
The experts said: “Find a space in your garden for a tree with fabulous autumn foliage. Japanese maples and flowering cherries both look spectacular in autumn, and if you don’t have room for a big tree, you can plant one in a pot.
“Flowering cherry Prunus ‘Kojo no mai’ or dwarf Japanese maple ‘Wilson’s Pink Dwarf’ will give you gorgeous autumn colour planted in a large container on a patio.”
According to the RHS, Japanese maples thrive in sheltered spots with partial shade and well-drained, slightly acidic soil. They are ideal for small gardens or patios, and many varieties grow well in containers.
Autumn is a great time to plant them, and they reward gardeners with brilliant seasonal colours ranging from yellow and orange to deep red and purple. Popular cultivars include Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’, ‘Sango-kaku’, and dwarf types like ‘Wilson’s Pink Dwarf’, which are perfect for pots.
Prunus ‘Kojo-no-mai’, also known as the Fuji cherry, produces delicate white to pale pink flowers that deepen in the centre, blooming before the leaves appear.
Its zig-zag branches and fine twigs give it a graceful shape, and in autumn, the foliage turns rich shades of orange and gold2.
This cherry shrub thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, and it’s fully hardy across the UK—even in severe winters down to -20C. It requires minimal pruning, usually just a light trim in summer to maintain shape.