September Gardens

lawn with water rill and pond reflecting clouds

During September you start to notice the nights beginning to draw in which always means less time to spend working, entertaining or just relaxing outdoors! That said though it’s still a good time to be doing jobs outside. It can also be a time for gales, so be prepared: ensure your plants, shrubs and trees are staked properly to avoid them getting damaged.

This is a great time to take cuttings from tender plants like fuchsias, harvest your fruit and veg, and go on, sprinkle a little TLC on your lawn!!

September is often considered ‘lawn care month’, a time when we reinvigorate them for next year by removing thatch, aerating and applying a top dressing. So, for those of you doing this for the first time here’s a quick guide how to do just that and have a fabulous lawn next year!

Removing Thatch

Thatch is basically moss and dead grass and by removing it, it increases air movement and drainage around your lawn which in turn helps to discourage the re-growth of moss. You can remove it either by using a rake or a powered scarifier. If you use a rake, beware it is hard work and pretty tough on your back. Be warned though, your lawn will look pretty awful after doing this but it won’t take long to recover!

Aerate

Your lawn needs to breathe and the more we walk on our lawns the more compacted it will become. All you need to do is push your garden fork into the ground about 6-7 inches deep and about 9 inches apart. This isn’t too bad a job (albeit a bit boring!) but if you have a big lawn you may want to consider hiring a machine to do this for you.

Top Dress

This job needs to be done as soon as you have aerated the lawn i.e. while the holes are still open. A tried and tested recipe is: three parts of sieved garden soil mixed with two parts of sharp sand and one part of garden compost.

Now sprinkle half - to a full inch of the mix onto the lawn and using a stiff brush or a broom spread it all over. This is to renew the upper soil layer. Again beware; your lawn will look really awful for a few weeks but the grass does grow though the soil again and will thank you for the TLC! Trust us!!

September Garden Jobs

As the nights start to draw in September usually sees gardeners working quick time to make the most of this super-busy month.

While there are still flowers to deadhead and plenty to harvest in the vegetable plot it is also a time of preparation. There are bulbs to plant to ensure a gorgeous display next spring. There are repairs to furniture and structures to do before the worst of the winter weather hits us. It's one of the busiest months in the gardeners' diary, and apart from looking after your lawn here are some other jobs to keep you going!

Start to consider your spring flowering bulbs (see our blog post for advice about plant designing with spring bulbs)
Continue to harvest your vegetables and fruit
Make any repairs to the greenhouse that are needed
Remove dead or dying summer bedding plants
Remember to be vigilant about garden hygiene
Put a net over ponds to stop leaves falling into it (before they start falling!)
Shelter any tender plants and if possible bring them inside or put in cold frames to overwinter them
For a splash of colour this winter buy new plants from garden centres, nurseries or just ask Blue Daisy - we can get them for you.
(Although it will be too late for some plants) to encourage more flowers, continue dead-heading to make it look tidier
Buy or make a compost bin if you don't have one already
Complete or repair any garden constructions like fencing or refelting your shed roof before winter sets in to take its toll
Empty and clean water butts with a garden disinfectant.

Spring Bulbs Planting Design

Example of planting design using spring bulbs

It may seem like only two minutes since we bid farewell to this year’s display of spring bulbs but now is the perfect time to be thinking about next year. Whilst many of us have them in our gardens we’ve found that very few people we talk to consider their spring bulbs to be an integral part of their planting scheme; indeed, many people seem to make their bulb choices purely on the basis of a desire to see a splash of colour – any colour – to break the drabness of winter. But, with some design planning and bulbs’ vast variety of shapes and sizes, colours and flowering periods, spring bulbs have the potential to be so much more than just that splash of colour – they could be the show stopping stars of your spring garden design.

Spring bulbs in a designed garden border

Planting Spring Bulbs

As with all planting designs environmental factors such as aspect, light levels and ground conditions will all have a bearing on the success of any scheme. ‘Right plant, right place’ works just as well for spring bulbs as for any other garden plant and planting depth of bulbs can also influence the flowering success of them later. For instance, if you plant bulbs too deep you risk getting more foliage at the expense of flowers and some might flower late or not at all. Plant them too shallow and they might emerge too soon making them vulnerable to frost. If you don’t have a label to check, a good rule of thumb is to plant bulbs 2 to 3 times their size. So, if a bulb is 5cm high, plant it 10-15cm deep and 10-15cm away from the next bulb. Since bulbs themselves are all different sizes, this allows you plant lasagne-style with larger bulbs deeper, mid-size bulbs in a layer above and small bulbs planted on a top layer. This method works particularly well in pots but can be used just as well in borders too allowing for the maximisation of space and impact.

Surrounding Plants

One of the tricks of designing with bulbs, of course, is blending them with existing plants – for most of us, bulbs are an addition to an already existing scheme so the height, texture, colour and form of surrounding plants will play a key role in choosing bulbs for maximum visual effect. Most of us tend to leave our bulbs in the ground once planted but it has to be said too that once a bulb has ‘gone over’ it isn’t the prettiest plant in the garden but leaving its yellowing leaves is a crucial part of the bulb’s life cycle so those surrounding plants can also play an important role in hiding those nourishing, but not too aesthetic leaves. Alternatively, planting bulbs in pots allows us to move them out of sight after flowering so can be a great choice for areas with few ‘hiding potential’ surrounding plants.

Bulb Colours

spring bulbs in a trough container near a doorway

If you’re considering planting bulbs in a small space then it’s a good plan to stick with a single colour – mixing colours tends to make a small area look smaller whereas a hit of a single colour increases impact and makes a space look bigger too. Larger spaces can accommodate more colour, of course, but limiting to 2 or 3 blended colours and planting groups of 2 or 3 varieties of bulbs in single colour clusters can look stunning. White or cream bulbs can help blend other colours together and when used alone are brilliant for brightening dark corners.

Functional Bulbs

Bulbs can be functional too; for instance, we have some quick collections that are perfect for pollinators; bulbs in this scheme not only look good but have a high nectar content that will encourage biodiversity in your garden. We also have them to help naturalise areas or to bring a fresh spring woodland look to a garden or to make a statement with bold swathes of colour. If you don’t feel confident to design yourself and don’t want a bespoke design, collections are a quick and easy way to choose bulbs. We order for our clients in August/September – both collections and bespoke designs – so whether you’re doing it yourself or working with a designer, planning now is key for next year’s spectacular spring bulb display.

August Gardens

yellow rudbeckias typical august flowers

The top priority for your August garden is usually to just sit back, relax and enjoy your garden and who are we to say anything otherwise? Go on, get out there and enjoy it before the weather changes for good!

Traditionally, this is the holiday month so if you are managing to be away this year remember to arrange for a neighbour/friends/family to pop round to keep an eye on plants for you. You’ll need to ask them to pick the fruit and veg that has ripened on any edible plants or it will spoil what is left still growing.

Containers and hanging baskets will need watering so consider drip feed irrigation systems if family and friends can't step in for you while you're away.

Indoor plants do need to be watered this time of year so if you can’t leave your key with anyone sink the pots in the soil in a shady area where they won’t dry out so quickly.

August can also bring with it lots of thunderstorms and heavy downpours which is great for cleaning the leaves of trees, shrubs and hostas and bringing the lawn back to it’s lush green colour. Make sure that your water butts are at the ready and delicate plants are supported to prevent possible damage.

August Garden Jobs

There have been some major growth spurts going on in our gardens this year and one of the biggest problems for gardeners is to make sure things don't get too much out of hand. As ever deadheading is the order of the day for August along with watering. Don't forget to try to water late afternoon or evening if possible, avoiding the heat of the day (although roses do prefer a morning drink!). Some summer pruning is also on the cards to help keep things under control along with the usual August jobs:

Check plants at least twice a week to check for infestation of bugs like aphids and red spider mite
Weed borders so plants aren’t competing for nutrients in the soil or water
Deadhead flowers regularly to encourage more flowers and to extend their flowering season
Consider saving bath and dish water for the garden (non-edibles)
Concentrate on watering newly planted trees, shrubs, window boxes and containers
Feed plants that require it
Remove the growing tip from greenhouse tomatoes to encourage fruit growth
Start thinking about planting bulbs for Christmas displays (yes, I really did mention the C-word!!)
Protect dahlias from earwigs
Check if repairs to the greenhouse or shed are needed before autumn sets in
Water and feed house plants remembering to clean the foliage
Cut sweet peas as soon as they flower to encourage more and to prevent seed pods forming
Trim hedges at the end of the month it should hopefully be the last time they'll need it this year
Harvest fruit and veg as necessary
Make sure bird baths have fresh clean water every day
Water levels in ponds may have evaporated so top up to ensure the fish don’t die
Remember if you do have to garden while the sun is out protect yourself adequately with sun screen, a hat and drink plenty of water!

Garden Design Principal Principles

Clipped box balls repeated alongside water feature

Garden Design Principal Principles

Garden design – the clue is in the name – we design gardens, and like all disciplines of design, the best examples of our work – and that of other garden designers – can always be traced back to the creative application of a few fundamental principles – or rules – that underpin all we do.

Rather unhelpfully, there isn’t a universally accepted specific, set number of these rules; one camp may cite 5, another 12, yet another 9 or 7 but if you were to read all of them you would see a commonality between them. Just as Shakespeare’s “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” so too for garden design principles – nuances may influence numbers but regardless of what you call them or how you count them – they do all seem to coalesce around a few fundamental ideas; principal principles, if you will.

Cohesion – other names might be unity, harmony, repetition, colour, style – but this is all about creating something that works as a cohesive whole. Themes work well for cohesion, for instance a contemporary garden or a cottage garden – putting a name to that theme or style brings with it a set of rules to apply to it. You can even ‘room’ a garden within a theme, giving it a different feel in different areas but the theme itself helps maintain harmony and unity throughout supported by repetition of form or texture or colour. Repetition and colour too can play the leading role in achieving cohesion when style or theme may not be so prominent.
Balance – other names might be order, scale, proportion, symmetry, mass & voids – but this is all about where you ‘put’ different elements within the garden and how they work with all the other elements that are there so that everything feels balanced. Perhaps the easiest way of achieving this is through symmetry, where one side of a garden ‘mirrors’ the other side – everything on one side is balanced out by exactly the same things on the other side – but plants also play a part in balance and the same species and variety of plant can grow at different rates in different parts of the garden. If that is the case for this example, then the balance of the symmetrical design could be ruined by over or under-performing plants. Not every garden works symmetrically, of course, so finding balance and proportionality between elements can be challenging; balancing an existing shed for instance wouldn’t be about siting another shed somewhere else but using something that carries similar visual ‘weight’ or impact in order to achieve balance. This might be a large shrub or a mature tree for instance.
Movement – other names might be transition, rhythm, flow, line, focal points, destination, perspective, depth, journey – and this is mainly about how you move through the garden, whether physically or by eye, (i.e., when viewing the garden) but also about how the garden itself can be a source of movement. Pathways, arches, benches, water features, sculptures, specimen plants and more all give the eye or the body something to follow or move to, while rustling leaves, grasses swaying in the breeze, trickling water, bird and other wildlife all bring extra layers of movement too adding dynamism to a space.

The challenge for any garden designer is to utilise and combine these ‘rules’ in order to create something that is fit for purpose and looks fantastic too but if you’re getting bogged down with too many garden design principles and don’t know which or how to apply them, the principal principles approach might just help.

July Gardens

orange heleniums typical July flowers in the garden

There are always some things in the garden that you'd do differently, and your July garden is often a good time to spot those difficult patches. Make a note of the changes that you'd like to make and take photos to help your memory so that when you do come to make changes later in the season it'll be an easier job.

Pests are usually rampant this month with aphids, particularly greenfly and blackfly multiplying fast. It's time to get the ladybirds into your garden for a sumptuous feast and if you haven't built a ladybird home yet it's a great thing to do with children. All you need is some lengths of hollow bamboo bundled together with either string or bunched inside a plant pot or something like a catering size coffee tin. Putting them inside something ensures the canes don't become a wind tunnel and if you've tied them up without putting them inside something do make sure one end of the canes are blocked up with something. Another way of providing insect homes is to drill some holes into one end of a log. Ladybirds and other insects will thank you for providing them with safe harbour to either lay eggs or to hibernate.

Managing pests and diseases is especially important in your fruit garden to help keep fruits healthy and with the hoped for sunshine also comes a plethora of weeds. Keep them under control in order to give your flowers, fruit and vegetable plants room to grow without too much competition.

July Garden Jobs

With summer well underway here is the job list for July, which includes…

Summer prune your fruit cordons and espaliers
Keep weeds down around fruiting trees and other edibles to reduce the competition for nutrients
Thin out fruit crops.
Deadhead as often as possible to encourage more flowers
Keep an eye on water levels - especially containers, pots and hanging baskets
Harvest any fruit and vegetables that are available and if there is too much to eat either give it away or freeze it
Hoe the borders regularly to keep weeds at bay
Check plants regularly for pests and diseases
Make sure bird baths and watering stations have plenty of clean and fresh water
If you have a pond check it regularly and top it up as necessary
Trim hedges this month (if you're sure there are no nests or existing ones have been vacated, remember that some birds come back for a second brood). If you're unsure, wait a bit longer
Plan the autumn vegetable plot and sow seeds as appropriate
Pinch out side shoots on tomatoes and keep them evenly moist to avoid blossom end rot (fruit splitting)
If you have a greenhouse keep it well ventilated and shaded
Keep your potted acers well watered and out of direct sunlight in order to avoid leaf scorch
If you do get the chance to get into your garden and the sun is shining do wear a hat and sun lotion and don't forget to stay hydrated too.

Creating an Indoor Outdoor Cohesive Space

Creating an Indoor Outdoor Cohesive Space

One of the jobs of a garden designer is to try to make the garden feel part of a cohesive whole with a client’s house so that they feel they belong together. It’s rarely an explicit request but when we’re designing a garden, a good starting point when trying to decide where things should go is to do it with the sight lines from the house very firmly in mind. Regardless of the size of garden if you can create something beautiful and interesting to look out at then it brings the garden ‘closer’ to the viewer because they feel more engaged with it. We’ve talked before about creating views of the garden so that from inside the house, the frames of windows and doorways when looking out are ‘framing’ the view beyond. In putting that ‘view’ together it’s a good tip to try to think as a painter or photographer would, in terms of thinking about fore-, middle and backgrounds; about balance, subjects and ways of leading the eye through the view.

The décor, along with the use and choice of materials indoors, can give huge cues for outdoor decisions in terms of linking a garden and home – and more on that in a future article – but one obvious way to link indoor and outdoor spaces is through the use of greenery, i.e. plant choices and planting design. Indoor gardening is more popular than ever and as we’re becoming more and more aware, just as looking out at a view of nature is good for us, surrounding ourselves with house plants is too.

Studies show that there are both psychological and physical health benefits of indoor plants; psychologically they improve our mood, reduce our stress levels and help make us more productive. Physically they reduce our blood pressure, headaches and fatigue. Indoor plants – just as outdoor plants do – also bring with them a massive and versatile potential for aesthetic styling, and just as we work with such things like form, habit, colour and texture externally, so too can we do so indoors.

There’s a huge potential then for creating cohesion of indoor and outdoor spaces through planting. For instance, if you can bring your outdoor planting right up to your house – perhaps through window boxes or raised beds leading up to your patio doors/bifolds, etc - and your indoor planting right up to the outdoor threshold so only the glass of a window or doors separates them; it can be a very effective way of blending the boundary between indoor and outdoor.

Similarly repeating the forms, textures or leaf shapes of indoor plants with outdoor planting reinforces the links between the separate areas. Picking repeating/similar flower or leaf colours across thresholds has the same effect as does choosing similar styles of pots that continue across the divide.

For many of us space can be an issue both inside and out, so as usual, when floor space is limited, we’d recommend thinking vertically. While hedges aren’t quite an option indoors, indoor wall space can be just as effective as garden fences and walls outside when it comes to accommodating plants. You don’t need a full-size living wall either (as beautiful as they are!). Climbers can be used indoors or as in our image/s small ‘living pictures’ can be used to harmonise the indoor/outdoor areas just as effectively as floor or shelf standing planters. (We were so delighted with these living pictures in terms of looks, versatility and practicality - they have their own reservoir so watering is pretty much taken care of – we are now accredited suppliers of them so do get in touch if you are as equally delighted with them!)

Of course, choosing plants for indoors needs the same consideration as choosing for outdoors so light levels, room temperature and fluctuations, plant care needs and toxicity are some of the things to be considered along with their looks, size, form, colour, texture, etc. If you have the right plant, in the right place doing the right job for you both indoors and out then the chances are good that you’ll also have a cohesive indoor/outdoor space.

June Gardens

blue geraniums typical June flowers in the garden

This is the time we usually get to relax and enjoy our gardens with the first vegetables ready to harvest, flowers in full bloom and long summer nights to appreciate our hard work! We have hurtled into June already enjoying lovely balmy evenings but this month the scent that June is reknowned for should really start taking over.

Make sure that plants in greenhouses, conservatories and windowsills get some good ventilation and shading protection too to make sure they’re not scorched.

It's still not too late to do the 'Chelsea chop' on parts of some of your late flowering perennials - doing this will help stagger and prolong their flowering period. Early flowering perennials like geraniums can also benefit from the Chelsea chop they'll reward you with a second flush of flowers later in the summer.

Try to keep up good garden hygiene by deadheading when you can. And slugs, snails, aphids, greenfly and blackfly, to name but a few, are really active at this time of year so keep your eyes open and deal with them at the first signs of activity which normally works in most cases.

Although it would be lovely to say you have nothing to do now, it’s not true; there are still lots of routine jobs that need doing to keep your garden looking vibrant.

June Garden Jobs

June is a prolific time in our gardens and while it's usually a great time to break out that well deserved drink to help us savour the warm, scented evenings there are also lots and lots of jobs to be getting on with this month.

Just in case you're not sure where to begin, here's a list to get you started:

Deadhead flowers to maintain displays and encourage more growth
Hoe borders to discourage weed growth and competing with plants for water
Tie climbers to trellises or canes to get the benefit from the display and to support during growth
Keep a look out for pests and diseases and start to treat at the first signs of activity
Water borders and lawns thoroughly every few days which is better than a little every day - the soil is drying out quickly and if you have clay it's already cracking in some places…
Check containers and hanging baskets daily to see if they need watering - rain doesn't always get into your containers so keep an eye on them just in case
Make sure that there is plenty of ventilation in greenhouses and conservatories
Lift and fully dry spring flowering bulbs and store away
Lift your mower's cutting blades - the dryer the weather the higher the cutting blades should be
Remove any suckers found on roses as soon as they appear
Plant bedding plants and/or annuals grown from seed or buy from garden centres to fill any gaps or for an additional splash of colour
Give lawns a good feed
Plant up some containers for that late summer spectacular
Time to think about planting seeds for winter and next spring displays
Harvest vegetables as and when they are ready to be lifted.

May Gardens

Hints of summer should be on its way this month with warmer and longer days. With the wet winter we've had everything seems to have exploded - not only the plants but also pests are out with a vengeance. Our May gardens are starting to inject more colour and vibrancy into our outdoor spaces with flowers coming into bloom thick and fast.

Tulips are already up and gracing us with their presence, remember though that there is still a chance of an occasional frost so be ready to cover tender plants. New shoots found on plants like hostas are tender too and will need protection from cold winds and late frosts – have newspapers or fleeces ready and hold them down with large stones over night if the forecast is for cold.

Lawns usually need to be mown twice a week in May and don't forget to cut on a high setting, especially if your grass is damp. Going too short too early will damage your lawn. Take care not to cut the grass where bulbs are flowering too if possible. As soon as the leaves begin to turn yellow and die back that is a sign for you to cut your grass over bulbs. Leaves are a very important source of energy for next year’s bulb displays!

Shelter your hanging baskets in a corner during the day inside or on top of a big pot and put them inside overnight until the threat of frost has gone. Spring flowering containers will usually be starting to fade towards the end of May but some might last into June this year. When they have gone over throw out those annuals and replace them with new plants you have sown yourself or bought elsewhere.

May Garden Jobs

Every month brings with it a list of jobs that need doing in the garden and May is no exception! This is a busy time of year generally. Your garden will benefit from TLC this month to give it the best chance of performing well for you during the summer months. Some May garden jobs for that list of yours…

Keep an eye on your watering. Sheltered plants might still need a little extra and if you've been keeping plants back in the greenhouse a little longer than usual they'll need a good regular supply too.
Protect tender plants or shoots from frosts and cold winds
Keep weeds under control
Cut grass as the daffodil or tulip leaves turn yellow and begin to die back
Lift tulip bulbs when they're over, store them in a dark and dry place until autumn
Prepare supports for climbers
Harden off hanging baskets
Place straw mulch under strawberries
Clear out spring bedding plants
Thin out annuals and vegetables already sown outdoors
Sow vegetables every few weeks to get a continuous crop later in the year
Protect crops from carrot fly
Allow plenty of ventilation in the greenhouse
Scarify lawns where dead moss is a problem
Check for pests and diseases both in the greenhouse and outside
Stake or support tall and/or floppy plants
Deadhead flowers as needed.

April Gardens

April usually brings with it an injection of colour in our gardens, the spring bulbs are usually out in force, other plant leaves are unfurling and trees are often awash with blossom at this time of year making it feel as though life is most definitely stirring! The birds are usually singing, insects are usually starting to show themselves and often the bees are out making the most of the early nectar from the spring flowers.

Keep your eyes open for any pests like slugs and snails and the dreaded vine weevil.

Chances are you've been reticent about getting tender plants or seedlings outside but if you have ventured out take care still as frosts can still damage them so have some horticultural fleece or even an old newspaper at the ready to cover them during those colder nights. If you don't have either and can bring them indoors remember to take them back out the next day.

Spring is a great time for scent in the garden and if you don't have anything now is the perfect time to go out and buy yourself something that will add another dimension to your garden at this time of the year. Some to consider are, for example, Viburnum, Philadelphus, Wisteria and Magnolias but be sure to double check before you buy because not every variety of these plants has a scent.

If you have a vegetable garden you'll be a busy bee making sure the ground is prepared and heated sufficiently enough to plant those tender seedlings that will hopefully produce an abundance of tasty treats for you later in the year! Remember though the trick is to sow seeds every few weeks or so to make sure you get an ongoing supply of produce that you can cope with rather than being inundated with things like courgettes…yes, we've all done it with courgettes!!

April Garden Jobs

Some of the jobs that can be done in your garden this month are:

Dividing perennials - any plants that you didn't get to last month, now's the time to replant them around your garden to increase your border stocks (or give to friends if you don't have any space in your own garden!)
Keep weeding the borders, annual weeds should be easy to pull out by hand but the perennials will need digging out
If you haven't cut back your ornamental grasses yet this is the last chance to do it or there may well be a chance of damaging the emerging shoots
Get sowing your annuals
Pot on any seedlings so they don't get too leggy
Start protecting your plants from vine weevils, slugs and snails by using biological controls
Begin your regular mowing, the first cut should be at the highest then lower each time you cut so by the end of the month it is at the usual setting or you may risk frost damage by cutting it too low too early
Take on those edges, a good neat edge to your lawn makes all the difference
Stake some of the taller perennials in the garden now before time gets away from you and they have become unruly
If you haven't sown any sweet peas and want some you'll need to get them sown pretty quickly or it'll be too late!
Foxgloves, Aqueligias and other plants that have self sewn themselves around the garden can be lifted and replanted exactly where you want them
Keep a check on any containers and water if needed as we may have a few hot and dry days this month
Plant up Dahlia tubers and keep them in a frost free place
If you're planning on planting vegetables don't forget to sow successionally to avoid the gluts!

Garden Design Quick Tip - Trees for structure in small gardens

One of the elements of garden design that designers use is that of structure. While perennials and annuals come and go within a garden accenting it, it is the more permanent aspects of a garden - manmade like arbours or pergolas, or plants like shrubs and trees - that gives it structure, adding strength and often character to a space.

Trees are brilliant structural plants. When our horizontal opportunities are limiting trees allow us to capitalize upon the vertical possibilities often making the space feel bigger. They also add definition to a space too; for instance a single tree planted in the centre of an island bed defines a space in one way but a line of trees along a pathway adds a different dimension cmpletely. The age of a tree can also add a sense of history or context to a garden while the tree itself brings layers of biodiversity to a garden through the different species it supports. All in all a tree's reassuring presence throughout the seasons makes it a first port of call for any garden designer looking to add structure to a garden.

Our top 3 trees for adding structure to a small garden are:

Amelanchier - A beautiful group of trees with a great shape. As the wind blows through it you often get a silvery sheen to it which gives it an ever changing look. Its spring blossom is fabulous (our image doesn't do it justice!) and its autumnal colour spectacular.

Sorbus - all varieties are lovely delivering beautiful spring blossom , striking autumn berries and leaf colours in differing combinations. For instance Sorbus aucuparia 'Joseph Rock' has white flowers in spring with creamy yellow berries in autumn along with orange, purple and red leaves. Sorbus aucuparia 'Chinese Lace' has single white flowers in spring followed by clusters of dark red berries. Its leaves turn purple-red in autumn.

Prunus - (our main image). Prunus serrula 'Tibetica' - with its distinctive peeling bark that looks good all year round, especially in the cold, frosty winter light. It has pink spring blossom and great autumn leaf colour.