Versatile conifers can add splash of colour

6:50am Saturday 11th October 2008

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OCTOBER is one of the most colourful times of the year. Many flowers are still blooming and the leaves on trees and shrubs are beginning to change to fiery colours like red, yellow and orange. Bright berries add to the colour scheme of the garden.

It’s also a good time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials, as the soil still has some warmth and will help to get them established. Try and get evergreens planted by the end of the month – winter flowering varieties easy to grow include Skimmia that has pink or red winter buds that open in early spring to pink or white flowers. It’s also an excellent time to plant conifers as well.

In fact, October is the perfect month for conifers (National Conifer Week has just ended). A wonderful way of adding colour and shape to the garden, conifers are so diverse and surprisingly enough very modern. Not all them are huge, fast-growing types – there are a variety of different shades, shapes and sizes ranging from tiny dwarfs to magnificent trees. Many conifers change colour throughout the year, but fabulous splashes of orange, blue or purple can be achieved in autumn and winter when other plants are dormant. Conifers are also amazingly versatile – they can be used in containers, as dramatic standalone features in the garden, to give height to borders or create a formal look around a door. They are very easy to look after, and so long as they are planted in the right spot they only need a little pruning and watering.

Some of the most popular conifers include Juniper that can be used in borders, rockeries and containers; Arbour Vitae as an ornamental and in hedges; Yew for ornamental use, hedges and topiary; and Spruce for borders, rockeries and as feature plants. For more information on conifers for your own garden go to www.plantforlife.info/conifer Dormant roses are now available at local nurseries and garden centres, and are very good value for money.

Before planting, mix in some good quality compost in the planting hole, and make sure the plants are watered well once planted. Now is the time to prune back established roses by about a third, this will help to prevent ‘wind-rock’ during the winter which can damage roots and stems.

Continue planting spring bulbs such as daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths and irises. Tulips can be kept back for planting later in October or even at the beginning of November in a sunny sport in the border or in containers. Other jobs include clearing away fallen leaves to prevent pests and diseases over-wintering. Move tender plants to a more sheltered position.