Episode 25

SHRUBS FOR AUTUMN COLOUR

If you’ve been inspired by Carol’s visit to Thorp Perrow and fancy an extra splash of colour in your garden this autumn, here are our top 10 recommendations:

Acer palmatum (Japanese maple)
Aronia melanocarpa (Black chokeberry)
Ceratostigma willmottianum (Chinese plumbago)
Cotinus coggygria ‘Flame’ or ‘Royal Purple’ (Smoke bush)
Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’ (Spindle tree)
Fothergilla major (Mountain witch alder)
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’ (Witch hazel)
Hamamelis vernalis ‘Sandra’ (Witch hazel)
Hydrangea quercifolia (Oak-leaved hydrangea)
Parrotia persica (Persian ironwood)

When planting shrubs, there are a few points worth bearing in mind:

1. Never be tempted to plant them too deep. Specimens should be planted at the same depth as they were in the pot.

2. If the plant is pot-bound when you take it out of its pot, make sure you tease out as many of the roots as you can before planting. This will encourage them to grow out into the surrounding soil instead of growing round in circles as they did in the pot.

3. Don’t bother adding any fertilizer to the planting hole. It’s a waste of time and may even scorch the roots. There’s no need to add any organic matter either. Just apply it to the surface as a mulch and let the earthworms do the work for you.

4. The use of mycorrhizal fungi can be hugely beneficial, especially on poor soils. They enhance the uptake of nutrients and water by the roots and lead to better establishment. Small packets of them can be bought in garden centres and they are far more widely available than they used to be. Follow the instructions on the packet. The granules only need to be applied once and, to be effective, must be in direct contact with the roots.

5. Water in well after planting and keep well watered during dry spells over the coming year.