In your garden THIS MONTH

There is still plenty of work to do in the garden in October to prepare for the weeks ahead

- Feature Louise Midgley Photos Getty Images

Nature celebrates the end of the growing season with a show of unbridled beauty – opulent berries, quirky fungi, and bountiful harvests are in abundance. But just because many plants are preparing for their annual slumber doesn't mean your garden has to be devoid of colour over the next few months. Indeed, several plants choose the coldest period of the year to wake up and perform.

Pot up containers with cheery winter bedding plants such as violas and cyclamen to add instant colour. Alternatively, opt for a permanent mix of hardy perennials and small shrubs. Choose plants with contrasting foliage and textural forms – skimmias, hellebores, heucheras and grasses make great companions.

If space allows, treat yourself to a winter-flowering shrub or clematis that will give off an intoxicating fragrance. Daphne, winter honeysuckle, mahonia and Clematis cirrhosa all fit this bill, and will lure in any pollinating insects that are active on milder days.