Autumn is when the garden takes on a new character — rich tones, crisp air, low light, and structure that really starts to matter. While many summer blooms are spent, late performers keep things alive with bold foliage, berries, seedheads, and colour. This is a season that rewards thoughtful planting, combining beauty with biodiversity and long-lasting structure.
Below is our full Grower’s Choice selection for autumn interest — perfect for trade customers looking to offer late-season colour, pollinator value, and garden resilience through to winter.
Few trees rival acers for autumn foliage. Varieties like Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Atropurpureum’ turn fiery shades of red and orange in October. Compact, architectural, and ideal for containers or borders.
Grower’s Tip: Best in partial shade, sheltered from strong winds. Stunning in small gardens.
Grasses reach their peak in autumn, offering biscuity tones, gentle movement, and delicate flowering plumes. Use in naturalistic planting schemes with:
Combine with Rudbeckia, Echinacea, or Sedum for maximum impact
Graceful, long-flowering and perfect for part-shade. Anemone hupehensis and hybrids bloom from late summer into October, with soft pink or white flowers atop tall, wiry stems. Naturalise beautifully and provide lasting colour where other plants fade.
Long-lasting panicles that blush from white to pink into autumn. Varieties like ‘Limelight’ and ‘Pinky Winky’ offer big, structural flowers that age gracefully.Leave flowerheads for beautiful winter silhouettes.
Late-season pollinator magnets. Their bold, daisy-like flowers bloom from midsummer to first frost and pair well with grasses and sedums. Excellent seedheads for birds and winter structure.
Reliable and pollinator-friendly. Their domed, pink flowerheads turn bronze and persist into winter, adding texture and habitat.Drought tolerant and low maintenance.
Multi-season interest: magenta spring blossom, purple summer leaves, and glowing amber tones in autumn. A small, elegant tree ideal for structure and contrast. Prefers sun or light shade and moist, well-drained soil.
As foliage drops, bright stems take over. Cornus alba, sanguinea and sericea varieties offer red, orange, or yellow winter stems. Prune in spring to maximise stem colour.
An autumn showstopper. P. quinquefolia and P. henryana deliver blazing crimson and orange tones in October. Ideal for walls and fences. Choose P. henryana for more controlled growth and striking leaf veining.
Known for its clusters of vivid violet berries that persist long after the leaves fall. Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’ is a unique feature shrub.Pairs well with hydrangeas and grasses.
Cotoneasters are versatile, wildlife-friendly shrubs with glossy green leaves and brilliant red berries that persist into winter. Some also offer colourful autumn foliage.
One of the most striking foliage plants for autumn. Its fern-like leaves turn brilliant shades of orange, red, and yellow. The dramatic branching form adds strong winter interest.
Ideal for bold borders or wild planting schemes. Suckering habit – best managed with space to spread.
Encourage your customers to plant now while the soil is warm and workable. These autumn favourites offer more than just colour — they support biodiversity, maintain garden interest, and build long-term planting success.
Posted 6th Aug 2:15pm
