As the year draws to a close, head gardener Åsa Gregers-Warg mixes blazing autumn colour with exotic, tooth-edged foliage and a delicately coloured but hardy fuchsia
PHOTOGRAPHS RICHARD BLOOM Åsa Gregers-Warg is head gardener at Beth Chatto’s Plants and Gardens in Essex bethchatto.co.uk
LIQUIDAMBAR STYRACIFLUA
With its fiery autumn display, the sweet gum is a classic choice for brightening up the gloomier months. While some cultivars change colour in early autumn, ours bides its time before becoming engulfed in shades of golden-marmalade, red and crimson-burgundy, a show that often lasts well into December. Avoid planting in frost pockets, as young trees can be susceptible to damage, and beware the aggressive root system. ‘Worplesdon’ has greater frost tolerance and a uniform-looking crown, while the columnar ‘Slender Silhouette’ reaches only 5m in ten years, eventually doubling in size.
Height and spread 20m x 8m.
Origin Eastern USA.
Conditions Moisture-retentive soil; sun or partial shade.
Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b†.
Season of interest Autumn colour. September – December depending on the cultivar.
ABELIA X GRANDIFLORA
I often find bees buzzing around the pink-tinged, white, tubular flowers of this plant as late as November. The rosy-red calyxes are a bonus, remaining long after the petals have fallen, making a beautiful addition to a Christmas wreath. ‘Sherwoodii’ and A. Pink Pong (= ‘Abenov41’) make excellent, smaller alternatives, eventually reaching a height and width of 1.2m x 1.5m. Strong winds and cold winter temperatures may damage the semi-evergreen foliage, so best grown in a sunny, sheltered spot. Remove dead or damaged wood in early spring.
Height and spread 2.5m x 3.5m.
Origin Garden hybrid of A. chinensis and A. uniflora.
Conditions Any fertile, well-drained soil; best in full sun.
Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.
Season of interest June – November.
ERODIUM CHRYSANTHUM
Although delicate looking, this little geranium relative is tough and long-lived, and deserves to be better known. It blooms for months, from May to late autumn if regularly deadheaded, with pale, creamy flowers held above neat rosettes of finely cut, silvery-grey foliage. Undemanding as long as you give it excellent drainage. Ideal for a rock g
