Travelling to see stunning displays of autumnal colour has become very popular. Particularly in the eastern part of the United States (a visit to New England in the fall is on many wish-lists).  Along with southern areas of Canada. or north and eastern provinces of China and Japan. Personally, I’m still trying to decide between imbibing the autumn colour in New England or Japan or maybe both. 

Closer to home the UK has an amazing array of public garden and arboreta that put on impressive displays. Whether to enjoy the colours or provide inspiration for plants to add to a garden. Westonbirt arboretum is a stunning place to go for a walk and enjoy the surrounding landscape. While looking at some of the smaller trees for garden inspiration. In Yorkshire, we are blessed with several beautiful gardens and arboretums to take advantage of. From Thorp Perrow and Castle Howard (whether visiting the arboretum or Ray Wood in Castle Howard grounds with the stunning acers display) to the Royal Horticultural Society’s northern most garden, Harlow Carr.

The Science Part

While enjoying the surrounding landscape we often forget about using foliage as part of our palette when planting a garden. What easier way to inject some colour than with one shrub or small tree. Watching the leaves turn from green to yellows, glowing oranges and vibrant reds. These are due to both the temperature and daylight hours reducing. In turn this stops plants producing so much food and the chlorophyll in the leaves then breaks down. Exposing pigments other than green in plant leaves (carotenes and xanthophyll producing orange and anthocyanin pigments producing red).

Small Tree Inspiration

Acers produce some of the most amazing displays. These include many smaller trees suitable for gardens, 

• Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’ is one of the smaller varieties. The leaves turn orange through to scarlet red. Ideal for lighting up a partially shaded area or planted against a dark green hedge. 
• Acer palmatum ‘Winter Flame’ (Coral Bark Japanese maple) is even smaller. Growing to three metres high with a spread of two metres over 20 years. The bark is a vibrant coral colour, and the leaves are golden with corral veins and tips.
• Acer palmatum ‘Beni Maiko’ has bright pink-red leaves that turn green in summer. Before finally turning orange and red in autumn. 

There are plenty of alternatives to acers,

• The katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) provides autumn colour with its leaves turning yellow (often turning orange and red on more acidic soils). It gives off the scent of burnt sugar or candy floss while wandering round the garden.
• Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’ known as the Spindle tree. With its flame red leaves is often used as part of a native mixed hedge scheme. The leaves turn scarlet and orange, with pink winged fruits that hang around after the leaves fall.
• Amelanchier alnifolia ‘Obelisk’ is one of my favourite trees with a narrow upright habit.
• Prunus ‘Accolade’ or Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’ has pale pink flowers in spring. The green leaves turn orange and then red in autumn.
• Prunus ‘Pink Perfection’ has leaves that start out a shade of bronze as they appear in spring. To green in summer and on to red and orange in autumn.
• Malus ‘John Downie’ has white flowers in spring, yellow to bright orange leaves in autumn followed by the orange and red fruit.
• Malus x robusta ‘Red Sentinel’ has pink tinged flowers and leaves that turn from yellow to red. Followed by red fruits that will last into winter (or at least until the birds have eaten them all).

Crab apples are a hard working tree, providing all year round interest. From the blossom in spring to the brightly coloured leaves in autumn. Not to mention the fruits that remain in winter until the birds eat them. Or until you fancy making crab apple jelly. Where space is at a premium, crab apples can be walled train or pleached. Allowing room for flowers to be planted in front of or underneath them.

Shrubs

In small gardens plants need to earn their keep throughout the seasons. Shrubs are some of the best at doing this, 

• Amelanchier lamarckii is usually seen as a tree but I love using it in client’s gardens as a multi-stem shrub. It won’t grow as tall and has plenty of foliage on lower branches, not to mention it is perfect for underplanting with shade tolerant plants. The leaves on it start out bronze in spring turning to green in summer and finally red in autumn.
• Euonymus alatus‘Compactus’ is small enough to inject a little autumn colour into a border.
• Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii ‘Profusion’, with its bronze and purple leaves in spring turning to green and yellow and purple in autumn. It has tiny pink flowers but it is the, vibrant purple berries that appear in autumn and stay long after the leaves have fallen that it is most prized for.
• Weigela florida ‘Wings of Fire’ starts out with pink flowers and green leaves in summer, with leaves that turn bronze and ultimately to flame red in autumn.
• Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ is deep purple-red heart shaped leaves that start emerging in spring and hang around until autumn. It can be grown as a small tree or a multi-stem shrub.

Perennials

It is easy to forget just how many perennials are still flowering in autumn, particularly in October. When planning a garden or a border, geraniums are one the plants I first consider. Many varieties flower from late spring until the first frosts in autumn, perfect for gardens where space is limited. A few of the long flowering plants I enjoy using are,

• Geranium ‘Rozanne’, blue with a white centre that will flower away for months.
• Geranium nodosum, a lilac variety which is happy in the sun or lighting up a shaded area.
• Liriope muscari is another long flowering lilac coloured plant, from April until November. There is also a white variety Liriope muscari ‘Monroe White’.
• The deep indigo stems and flowers of Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’. It is ideal for the front of a border in all its intense inkiness.
• Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna Pink Inspiration’, for a pink or paler planting palette. I love rubbing its leaves to release the scent, a mixture of sage and fruit.

Many late summer favourites will still be in bloom,

• The white flowers of Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’. Look equally at home in a herbaceous border or mixed in with grasses.
• Anemone x hybrida ‘Königin Charlotte’ a pale pink variety. Perfect for mixing in with the blue of Geranium ‘Rozanne and a few lilac asters.
• The daisy like, lilac flowers of Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’, works well in the middle or towards the back of a border. Symphyotrichum ‘Little Carlow’ (previously aster) is a taller variety with smaller flowers.
• Hylotelephium ‘Matrona’ (previously sedum), the pink-red flowers are loved by pollinators, attracting bees and butterflies.
• Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ or the smaller Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii, in vibrant yellow. Depending on what it is planted with, the border will give hot summer or mellow autumn day vibes.
• The dark red of Bistorta amplexicaulis ‘Blackfield’ work with either blue tones or the yellow of Rudbeckia. Or perhaps the orange of Heleniums, to create the quintessential autumnal scheme.

Cyclamen hederifolium are ideal for adding ground cover underneath deciduous shrubs. Flowering from October into November. Equally they will add pops of colour, when added to pots near the house. I like to mix Cyclamen coum in with them, as they flower from December and on into March. It gives the impression that cyclamen have been flowering for months and creates a sense of unity.

Grasses

I love grasses at any time of year, seeing them peak through the soil in spring. Filling the borders in summer, to capturing the frost in winter. However, they really come into their own in late summer and autumn. The flowers are in full bloom or the seed heads are changing colour. Just a few of the grasses I plant are,

• Stipa tenuissima: A fluffy stemmed grass that will flop onto the lawn or path
• Miscanthus sinensis ‘Kleine Silberspinne’, a variety with pink-red flowers. That will look stunning mixed in with rudbeckia, anemones or miscanthus. It has a narrow habit, useful for planting in small gardens or borders.
• Hakonechloa macra is a bright green, mound forming grass. The vibrant colour will lighten up the garden.
• Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea ‘Transparent’ is ideal for planting behind, seeing the colours of perennials through the almost transparent flowers.
• Panicum virgatum ‘Warrior’, the fluffy seedheads always make me want to run my hands through them.
• Sesleria autumnalis is another shorter grass with bright green foliage and delicate flowers, similar in form to Hakonechloa macra.

Camilla Grayley is an experienced garden designer, speaker and writer based in York. She designs gardens and creates planting plans for clients in Yorkshire and across the UK. Get in touch if you’d like help planning your garden for 2025 on 07887 926095 or info@camillagrayleydesign.com