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That's it - summer's over! There was a definite hint of autumn in the air this week - a certain crispness to the morning air, a dampness of dew underfoot and a freshening breeze.Even the plants seem to know that autumn is on its way, the odd leaf

.)Malus 'Red Sentinel': one of the finest crab apples with sensational autumn colour and jewelled clusters of small red apples that cling on long after the leaves have fallen. The blossom is a fine pinky reddy white in spring.Acer davidii, the snake bark maple

, gritty compost. They take up to three months to germinate at about 15°C and should be left for a few years before transplanting and growing on.PropagationMore plants to grow for late-summer colourChoose flowers for late-summer colourCombine asters, sedums

with the added grass cuttings, helps to accelerate the composting process.More on leaf mould and compostingHow to build a leaf heapFollow our video guide to making leaf mouldChoose plants for autumn colourHow to build a compost binPractical guide to making garden

in autumn. Once the leaves have fallen, its trunk and stems provide winter interest, as the chestnut- coloured bark peels away to reveal the new, orange-red bark beneath. The paper-bark maple will tolerate partial shade and grows to a height of 10m

I've always had a soft spot for chrysanthemums, and it's during autumn that they really reward you with the flower you've been anticipating all year. I can't think of another hardy perennial for pots or borders that looks so bright and colourful

don't waste energy travelling to them.autumnall year round20 minutesPittosporum tenuifolium x1Skimmia japonica subsp. reevesiana x1 Ivy Hedera helix 'Glacier' x1Carex buchananii x1Tulipa 'Red riding Hood' x 10Square planter, roughly 45cm Round cup bird

smaller (only about 10m) and more slow-growing tree, try L. styraciflua 'Moonbeam'. It has creamy yellow young leaves that turn green as the summer progresses before transforming into fine colour.Best to ignore the variegated varieties as they are, I think

-style southern garden and the northern garden, which nodded towards the French style. The latter consisted of an oval arranged around a central pond. The surrounding borders were extraordinary: absolutely jam-packed with a fabulous array of about 2000 coloured

fruit but also for flowers and autumn leaf colour. They are pretty useless as a food crop, except that they do make the most delicious crab apple jelly that goes well with lamb, pork and poultry. However, they are really useful as a pollinator for many