Autumn is an increasingly unpredictable beast these days. So what will this October hold? With any luck, cooler weather will mean we keep some spectacular leaves clinging on until at least the end of the month and into November, and we recommend the best small trees to achieve a fiery display in your own garden, plus those that will feed birds the natural way with wild treats.
Whatever the weather, you can always rely on classic chrysanthemums to add pops of rich colour in your garden at this time of year. Naomi Slade offers tips on how to make the most of these characterful flowers in your garden.
In our Design Solutions feature you can find out how to create privacy in an overlooked garden, alongside our essential design guide to making a fabulously formal garden. There is more seasonal colour in our garden tours, and our must-have plant, ceratostigma, will wow you with its bright blue flowers and hot-coloured leaves.
Autumn is also a great time to get your fruit garden ready for harvests next year and we show how to get tasty raspberry harvests with our step-by-step guide. And don't miss our handy buyers guide to soil cultivation tools, the season’s best shopping, new books and the best gardening events to look forward to this month.
Even as autumn arrives, there’s still plenty of colourful treats to indulge your garden with.