The garden in autumn - Ethne Clarke

In autumn, although plants have reached maturity they are far from finished, with fiery leaf colour, structural seedheads, tawny grasses and fruit taking centre stage. Autumn Gordens opens up a whole new range of planting and design opportunities for the enthusiastic gardener. The first section, which looks at colour and form, shows how to get the best from the season by looking at the detail. The second section explores individual plants that excel in autumn. A section on harvesting reveals the autumn bounty found in woods and orchards and how vegetables, herbs and seedheads on ripening plants as colourful brushstokes to the overall picture. A look at garden frameworks considers the elements of garden planning and planting that slip from view during summer but which hold the design together. The final chapter provides descriptions and care advice for high-performance autumn plants. In small gardens in particular, the value of being able to extend the gardener's interest for several more months is very attractive. Here you will find recommended plants for gardens of all sizes and styles and plenty of manageable planting schemes to keep life in your garden right through to the new y