How to get a colourful garden this autumn

You might think that the beginning of darker nights and autumn weather means saying goodbye to the bright shades of summer, but it’s perfectly possible to bring the rich tones of autumn to your containers, beds and borders with some shrubs and flowering plants that yield late season colour!

Autumn is the ideal time to give your garden a refresh – it's a time of year filled with gorgeous shades and transitional tones and a collection of outdoor plants is a great way to add colour to your garden alongside the changing leaves

Discover our top outdoor plants that will instantly liven up your garden this season

SKIMMIA

This evergreen shrub is perfect for adding year-round interest to your borders or containers. Skimmia yields fragrant flowers in spring, followed by decorative red or white berries in autumn and winter. Only female varieties of Skimmia produce berries - but regardless, the verdant green or reddish leaves still provide colour to your garden throughout all seasons

ACERS

Also known as Japanese maples, Acers are a great focal point in your garden - especially in autumn, when their leaves burst into vibrant autumnal shades of crimson, orange or yellow. Many Acers are slow-growing, compact trees that can be grown in pots in even the smallest of gardens

CYCLAMEN

Hardy Cyclamen provides colour in your garden even through those cold, frosty months where little else is blooming. These delicate looking flowers look particularly lovely in pots. Keep them in a shady spot and they’ll provide beautiful bouts of pink, red and white to your autumn garden. After they flower, plant their corms in your garden so they can naturalise next year

PANSIES AND VIOLAS

This duo is a popular bedding plant amongst gardeners. Pansies and violas are famously planted together to carry your garden through to spring with their vibrant colours. Pansies are like Violas in shape but have larger and more intense shades of flowers. Planted side by side, they’ll liven up your beds and hanging baskets through the cold months

CALLUNA

There are many reasons why Calluna is our September plant of the month. It’s an easy to grow, long-lasting hardy shrub which looks great in containers no matter the size of your garden. In shades of red, pink, purple and white, it will brighten your outdoors from late summer into autumn. It even has a sweet honey-like scent which bees will love!

EUONYMUS

Euonymus is a kind of evergreen shrub that looks good in the ground, in pots, planted as a hedge, and just about anywhere else in your garden! It’s popular due to how easy it is to grow and the colour it provides during colder months. In autumn its leaves turn pink or red, and once it blooms it will then bear small red fruits to add seasonal interest alongside its attractive glossy leaves

CORNUS

Autumn is the best time to plant Cornus, also known as dogwood. This plant is perfect for smaller gardens as it provides year-round interest, so you can make it the star of your space. Some Cornus varieties flower during winter or even have colourful stems. In autumn, its striking foliage really shines through with bright-coloured berries adorning the branches too. Other varieties offer beautiful bracts (a type of decorative leaf) in spring

ILEX

You might know Ilex as its better-known name – holly! However, this festive classic isn’t just for Christmas! Ilex is a popular evergreen tree with dark, spiny, glossy green leaves and small white flowers that turn into merry and bright red ornamental berries in autumn and winter. There are lots of varieties of Ilex to grow, and the ones with berries tend to be female. As a bonus, these berries provide birds with food during winter

This autumn don’t forget to pay us a visit and browse our full selection of seasonal plants available in-store. It’s the easiest way to find a plant that’s perfect for your style and garden – plus, you can speak to our team of experts if you have any questions or uncertainties