Plant of the Month: September
Shrubs
Give your garden a seasonal boost with shrubs. By planting them this month, they become established while the soil is warm, and they benefit from rainwater through the autumn.
Colour is fading in the garden, so choose an acer with rich red autumnal colour, such as the Acer palmatum. The acer is a hardy shrub, also known as the Japanese maple. It’s low maintenance and the display of foliage can look good from spring right through to late autumn when the leaves fall.
The acer is slow growing and ideal for containers or small gardens. It likes slightly acidic soil in dappled shade and prefers space to flourish. It mixes well with other shrubs such as the cotoneaster, skimmia, holly and pyracantha.
Berry-bearing shrubs come into their own in autumn and their colour can last well into winter. The berries give birds a winter food source. Berrying shrubs such as the skimmia give a backdrop of greenery through the year and the bonus of early flower displays followed by autumn berries.
The evergreen firethorn or pyracantha provides nesting sites for birds, flowers that attract bees, and red, orange or yellow berries to feed birds into winter. The cotoneaster is another easy to grow shrub with bright berries which birds love in winter. The arching stems and herringbone-patterned stalks of Cotoneaster horizontalis is a good choice to train up a wall or fence.
Variegated holly shrubs have gold or cream edge to the leaves. Their bright red berries make natural Christmas decorations. Some plants have both male and female varieties. Ask for advice in the garden centre, as you may need to grow a male form alongside a female so the flowers are pollinated and develop berries.
You might like to introduce native hedges with shrubs such as hazel, dogwood and hawthorn. These help encourage wildlife, bringing nature and diversity into your garden.
If you’re limited on space, many shrubs can be planted in large patio pots. Plant them using a free-draining loam-based compost. Small shrubs included in seasonal patio pots can be planted in the garden next spring.
Garsons has a superb selection of shrubs, whether you’re planting them in your garden borders or in containers. Garsons card holders benefit from 20% off the Plant of the Month range, so you can stock up on all shrubs for 20% off September. If you don’t already have a card, you can sign up free of charge.
