Fall and rise

And colour is the key with plants that offer exciting or attractive colours to create something by which to remember the summer as the days grow shorter.

Add to this the fact that autumn is an ideal planting time (the soil is still quite warm and workable and plants should root well before winter sets in) and you’ll see how there is much to enjoy.

Here is a selection of autumn glories to consider for your garden.

Parrotia is grown for its peeling bark, attractive autumn colour and subtle winter flowers, all of which make it a great choice for autumn and winter.

Parrotia persica (Persian ironwood) is available in both a full-size form, which can reach a height and spread of 8m and 10m respectively, and a miniature form, (Parrotia persica ‘Pendula’), which grows to just 1.5m in height and 3m wide.

Cornus florida, or flowering dogwood, puts on a great show in autumn when its mid-green summer leaves turn to red and purple. This tree reaches a height and spread of approximately 6m and 8m respectively.

Sorbus aucuparia, also known as mountain ash or rowan, is a real autumn glory as its berries, which have been developing through late summer, fully ripen. Its foliage also provides a spectacle as its leaves turn red and yellow. It may reach 15m in height and spread as much as 7m.

Liquidambar is a tree grown primarily for its autumn colour. Depending on species and variety, leaves can turn to yellow, orange, red or purple. Liquidambar orientalis can reach 6m in height. Other species and varieties can be bigger.

Euonymus alatus, or the winged spindle, is striking in autumn when its leaves turn dark red. This dense, bushy, deciduous shrub is ideal in either a shrub border or on its own as a specimen plant.

It may reach a height of height of 2m and a spread of 3m. There is also a compact variety, Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’, reaching a height of one metre – a good option for smaller gardens.

If you’ve never planted a tree before, find out how to do it – there are plenty of websites available with the relevant information, or ask an expert. Never rush into planting something which may live for more than a century and which may rapidly outgrow its site and outlive its welcome.

Check that there’s space for your tree to grow in the intended place and that the soil is suitable for what you’ve got in mind.

These trees should do well on most fertile, humus-rich garden soils, though liquidambar and cornus prefer a neutral to acid soil.

If planting primarily for autumn colour, try to choose a position in full sun.