We love October

It has been a hot and dry old summer.

- WORDS JAMES ALEXANDER-SINCLAIR

The roses and wisterias were amazing, but followed by dried out lawns, hosepipe bans, shrivelled strawberries and plants that had collapsed from heat exhaustion like crinolined Victorians running marathons. All that is now a memory as we cruise into the (hopefully) gentler seas of autumn. We will have storms and blusters, but there are still apples on the trees and power in our dahlias. While our attention slowly shifts to autumn colours, the dropping temperatures call us to shake the moths out of our trusty scarves and woolly socks.

STAR OF THE MONTH Acer palmatum 'Winter Flame'

This is the season of the acer. Spring was charming with those tiny red maple flowers. Summer was a bit troublesome as we attentively watered them to avoid that irritating crispy edge to the leaves that develops with the combination of dehydration and desiccating winds. Now we are on the cusp of glory as the first hints of colour in the leaves begin to show: the colder it gets, the brighter they will be. This is a really good variety for a small garden, especially as the centrepiece to a front entrance, one that will really perk up your postie.

Full sunshine gives better colour, although they are fine with a bit of shade. Propagate by summer cuttings.

Height x Spread 3m x 2m

ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH

I like to grow this in long grass areas to give a bit of fizz to the early autumn. Not in wildflower meadows (it is quite invasive and will upset the fine balance of native plantings), but in those shaggy edges that we all should have in our gardens as habitat and shelter for insects and small mammals. Makes that unkempt area around the compost heap feel loved and appreciated!

Crocosmia ‘Babylon’