Plant of the Month: October

Conifers

Choose conifers for year-round colour, structure and elegance in your garden. Larger conifers can provide stately dark green hedging and a backdrop to smaller plants. Many look good in containers, especially smaller varieties, with foliage colour ranging from silver-blue to shades of bronze.

The secret is to choose the right one for your space. Check the eventual size of your chosen conifer, as some will grow large, while others are more compact. The Italian cypress is tall and narrow, making it a focal point, and the yew is a good choice for hedging.

Juniper, pine and spruce all have compact varieties to suit a smaller space. They make reliable ground cover plants and work well in a container mixed with seasonal flowering plants.

Autumn is a great time to plant conifers, as the soil is warm and easy to dig and they prefer to become established during the cooler months. Most conifers prefer full sun or partial shade. They need soil with good drainage, so mix in a generous amount of compost and a handful of horticultural grit to the planting hole.

Add a thick layer of mulch to give your conifer a little more protection over the winter. Conifers are low maintenance. Just give them a light trim if needed, unless you prefer a topiary, in which case the native yew loves to be clipped into shape. Mediterranean varieties are drought-tolerant and need less watering during hot, dry summers.

There’s 20% off the Plant of the Month range for Garsons card holders, so stock up on all confers for 20% off in October.