As autumn approaches and flowers become something of a rarity in the garden, it is berries that supply a lot of the colour. We tend to think of berries as red but there are lots of other colours too.
The most important groups of plants for berries are the cotoneasters and pyracantha and both are extremely good for wildlife too. The flowers are very attractive to bees and the berries are eagerly eaten by birds.
Pyracanthas are spiny shrubs that tend to be used as wall shrubs in gardens although they can be grown as free-standing shrubs too and they are frequently planted in blocks in municipal plantings. They are more-or-less evergreen and they are self-fertile so you only need to plant one. They will grow in most soils and in sun or part shade. Most have scarlet berries but there are some with yellow or orange berries. They grow quickly and although there are a few that are low and compact, most can easily reach 2m high and wide, though they can be kept smaller by pruning.
Cotoneasters, (best pronounced cot – o – knee- aster) vary a lot and some are small, evergreen trees (‘Cornubia’ – which is a useful choice for small gardens though creates dense shade) though the majority are neat bushes. The most popular is Cotoneaster horizontalis which, ironically is usually grown vertically up a wall. But it can be planted as a shrub in the border where the ‘herring-bone’ structure of the branches is striking. The small, pink flowers are always buzzing with bees in summer and the berries are colourful. The leaves turn scarlet before they drop in autumn too.
Other cotoneasters are low and creeping, perfect for clothing banks while others make interesting and wildlife-friendly hedges.
Some of the most popular berrying shrubs force us to consider sex. although pyracanthas and cotoneasters will berry freely if you plant just one, because the flowers are both make and female, a few shrubs have male flowers and female flowers on separate plants.
Most skimmias are either male or female and the most popular of all, ‘Rubella’ which has maroon flower buds over winter, opening to cream, fragrant blossom in spring, is male. It will not produce berries but it will fertilise female plants.
Most aucubas are male or female and the same is true of hollies. ‘J C Van Tol’ is the one to buy if you want just one because it is hermaphrodite. Some of the others are confusingly named: ‘Golden King’ is female and ‘Silver Queen’ is male!
Not all berries are red or orange. The most striking berries of all are produced by callicarpa, sometimes called the beauty berry. This is an easy-to-please shrub in most soils and grows in part shade or sun. The clusters of pink flowers in summer are pretty but when the foliage turns purple and yellow and drops in autumn the glossy, purple berries are revealed.
Autumn berries usually last for months so give great value and if they disappear in a few weeks at least you know you have provided the birds with a feast!
Weekly reminders
Start to empty summer pots. Compost the plants and tip the compost onto borders
Buy garlic to plant next month
Cut down lilies in pots and borders once the foliage turns brown
Pick the last tomatoes and make soup or chutney and pull up and compost the plants
Save seeds from your favourite annuals on a dry day