Great Looking Plants in October

As the winter months pile on and the weather gets a bit more miserable by the day I often find myself staring out my window at my garden, the once blooming tangle of stems and petals brimming with colour and life, now looks like an upsetting pile of twigs and dried leaves. Which isn’t ideal is it? No one wants to have their home remind them of the set dressing to Threads (1984).

 

If you’re like me, melancholily starring into the void that is the shell of your garden’s former self, reminiscing on the good times that now feel an age ago, don’t threat, we can navigate this existential plant crisis together.

 

I’ve put together a list of my favourite plants we’ve got in our nursery this week that I think would look fantastic in your garden (yes! Your garden specifically!). Not all plants are created equal, and while we love all plants and flowers here at Gardening Express, not all plants were born to be the eye catchers and set pieces of your garden. So to accommodate this I’ve decided to show you a mix of eye catching flowers that will be the proverbial star players of your garden along with some hardier, less delicate plants that will fill in those blank spaces and keep your garden feeling alive throughout the colder months - to keep up the sports metaphors, these will be our role players. So lets dive in!

 

1. Albizia julibrissin Ombrella - Silk Tree

Kicking things off, I’ve decided to go with the otherworldly Albizia Julibrissin Ombrella - sometimes referred to as the French silk tree. I love this plant personally, its a deciduous plant that’s very hardy and looks great covered in rain droplets. These will grow anywhere in the uk and if you’re lucky will even hold onto some of their flowers into the winter. As trees, they’ll take up a decent amount of space, growing to around 2 - 4 meters tall, so these plants are great for establishing some shade for some of your more delicate plants come summer.

 

2. Verbena Rigida

Speaking of delicate plants, next up we have the Verbena Rigida, a very dainty and colourful low growing perennial. These little guys are a great way to add some colour and texture to your garden, in a pot, under a tree, around some greenery, anywhere. No pruning is required either for this plant, so think of it as a little gift to yourself.

 

 I Love these, actually the more that I talk about them the more I’m tempted to close the laptop and go back down to the nursery and pick up a few for myself, so I better end this hear before this article ends up unfinished.

 

3. Callicarpa Japonica (Leucocarpa)

It’s time to get a little weird, not too weird, its just plants after all, but still weird. These Callicarpa japonicas are one of my favourites here at Gardening Express, every time I walk down to the nursery I have to do a double take when I see them. They’re so striking and unique when they’re in bloom, the white berry clusters are the perfect contrast to the dark greens and browns that are bound to be in your garden this time of year, these berries will give your garden some much needed interest in the colder months and will continue to attract birds throughout the winter, keeping your garden full of life, Which will help ease some of that existential garden dread we talked about earlier.

 

 

4. Geranium Dusky Crûg

We (well, I) have done a lot of talking about bigger plants that are going to fill space creatively so far, so I want to shift focus a bit and talk a bit about these hardy, semi-evergreen flowers that bloom later in the year that will be the perfect accoutrement to some of those bigger evergreens. You’ll see a lot of Geranium’s in the UK due to how easy they are to grow and how great they look, which is why I think they’d make a major addition to any garden needing a subtle pop of colour. They’re perfect for flower beds and borders, you can underplant them as well bellow roses and shrubs (or whatever you like, really). They’re just a super versatile perennial that will work anywhere, the black trousers of plants, they’ll go with anything.

 

5. Japanese Anemone Hadspen Abundance 

 

Finally, capping off this list is the charming Anemone hupehensis. Saved the best till last! these native Japanese plants are very easy on the eye and look good anywhere, literally anywhere, put them in your front garden, around beds, under trees, in pots, anywhere, it doesn’t matter because they’re gonna be a conversation piece in your garden with those big pastel petals and layered centre. They are clump forming also, meaning they’ll spread out gradually in a small area, which I really like personally. it makes it easy to manage them and keep them looking pretty.
 Additionally, These guys are going to be perfect for winter due to their hardiness, they can survive extreme temperatures which can be a rarity for plants of this nature.

 

So that’s it, how are we feeling? Still a little down? Still feeling some of that seasonal garden depression? Hopefully not, and hopefully you’re feeling inspired to get your garden back to looking its best with some of these plants instead. We’re never not adding new stock here at gardening express, so if you’re after more inspiration, be sure to take a look at our new arrivals I’m sure you’ll find something that will fit nicely in your garden.

 

We have a ridiculous amount of articles and tutorials on our website on garden design and planning on our website, so if you’re after more tips or help, we’ve still got you covered still: https://help.gardeningexpress.co.uk/article-categories/garden-styles/