Cotoneaster 'Juliette'
Autumn is a great time for planting, the soil is still warm and stock planted now will put on a spurt of root development to establish itself before winter. If you are thinking about livening up your garden borders or adding a focal point to a so far under-utilised part of the garden, now is a good time to get planting. When choosing a new plant at this time of year evergreen and semi-evergreen shrubs should be top of the list. They bring year round colour and interest to the garden plus the added bonus of structure provided by their woody stems.
One family to look out for are the Cotoneasters. This is a genus of over 200 species of potential garden beauties and includes evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees. They offer a range of growing habits which makes them suitable for many uses in the garden, from playing a part in a shrub border, or as hedging or screening; some are well suited for wall training and others give good ground cover. Their adaptability around the garden is complemented by their delicate flowers which usually appear from sprint to summer and are followed by late season, brightly coloured ornamental fruits (inedible).
Of the family, Cotoneaster 'Juliette' is a real eye-catcher. This semi-evergreen low-growing shrub is often grafted onto an upright stem to enable the branches to arch downwards. This weeping effect shows off 'Juliette's' variegated leaves and bright red autumnal fruits more clearly than at ground level. Also look out for other members of this family such as Cotoneaster 'Coral Beauty'. 'Coral Beauty' bears white flowers in summer, followed by bright orange-red fruit in autumn. This evergreen, dense small shrub has arching branches and is great for ground cover.
When planting Cotoneasters there are one or two thoughts to have in mind for location. They prefer a dry site, so it is important to avoid areas where water logging occurs. Deciduous Cotoneasters prefer a full sun position whilst the semi-evergreens and evergreens do well in sun or partial shade. A little pruning after flowering will keep them in the desired shape.
Along with adding something new to the garden, autumn planting gives us the opportunity to enjoy first hand the dynamic, invigorating atmosphere that autumn brings.