IN THE GARDEN
during an Indian summer, when warm, dry days are followed by cold nights. The timing of autumn colour is highly variable, though here at Cambridge University Botanic Garden, a number of trees are reliable in providing autumn colour, including Fagus sylvatica (beech), Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’ (sweet gum ‘Worplesdon’) and Zelkova serrata (Japanese elm). Bringing autumn home Seasonal interest need not be limited to large trees alone. A range of bulbs, herbaceous perennials, shrubs and small trees can provide valuable autumn interest. Autumn bulbs such as Sternbergia lutea (autumn daffodil), Cyclamen hederifolium and Nerine bowdenii can be included in even the smallest space. These all relish a sunny position and good drainage, and can be effective at the front of a border or in a mixed planter. Michaelmas daisies must be one of the most well-known autumn-flowering plants, producing a range of colours and sizes for inclusion in any garden. Good selections include cerise Aster ‘Andenken an Alma Pötschke’ and pale blue Aster x herveyi and Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’. Other herbaceous plants such as Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ and Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’ are reliable for their autumn flowers, and many of the flowering salvias, including Salvia ‘Amistad’ and Salvia ‘Nachtvlinder’, will produce a succession of flowers right up until the first frosts. If you’re after shrubby autumnal interest, many of the spindles, including Euonymus alatus var apterus , provide an intense flush of scarlet foliage, coupled with interesting red fruits that split to reveal bright orange seeds. Callicarpa bodinieri produces a covering of purple
POP ART Euonymus alatus var apterus (right) and the Autumn Garden (below) create vivid hues
88 OCTOBER 2025 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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