Pot up these warming wonders

Give your patio, doorstep or balcony a colourful boost with these seasonal pot combinations from Bob Purnell

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The exuberant floweriness of summer may be well behind us but there's much still to appreciate in our gardens, even as flowers continue to dwindle and leaf fall quickens. Containers offer an easy, effective and affordable way of bringing the finest of any season into focus, cheering up even very restricted spaces.

In the low-slung sunlight of bright autumnal days, seasonally tinted leaves are illuminated like stained glass, while back-lit blooms turn thrillingly translucent, and feathery grasses are haloed mesmerisingly.

Each of our pots is planted to take advantage of this engaging extra dimension and look their best sited where they can fully catch the light.

Although much more understated than their summer counterparts, these still striking and colourful planting combinations are designed to carry us gently toward winter and to maintain some interest through the coolest months.

We've chosen plants carefully so that, with the exception of the violas, all should live on for years, whether in pots or in the ground.

And ours is only a small selection of the many plants with autumn appeal: there are lots of grasses, evergreens and late-flowering perennials to choose from.

Catch the light, raise your spirits

Grasses, in all their variety, are hard to beat for long-lasting autumn attraction and even in their straw-like winter guise they add structure and texture, as well as subtle colour.

Japanese forest grass excels in pots, its swishy, arching leaves turning yellow and gold before going shades of umber and ochre as they wither. Provided they don't get too dry or overheated, ferns are also one hundred per cent reliable in pots.