Autumn's fiery display has arrived slightly earlier this year in Irish gardens, with drought-stressed trees and shrubs responding to recent winds and rain by transforming their foliage into spectacular shades of red, orange, and gold. This timing creates the perfect opportunity to witness these botanical performers at their peak and introduce them to your own garden landscape.

This episode reveals my carefully curated list of ten exceptional plants for autumn color, divided between shrubs and trees, each selected for reliability, visual impact, and often, multiple seasons of interest. Among the shrubby standouts, discover why Cornus kousa 'China Girl' was this year's Bloom festival sensation, how Euonymus alatus delivers weeks of vivid red display, and which varieties of Berberis offer tough, reliable autumn color even in challenging conditions. For larger spaces, learn about classic performers like Liquidambar (now available in compact forms for smaller gardens), the shelter-loving Japanese maples with their quintessential deep reds, and my personal favorite, Quercus rubra (Red Oak), which develops increasingly magnificent displays as it matures.

Beyond leaf color, we explore plants offering autumn berry interest, from spectacular Pyracantha walls to reliable Cotoneaster displays. You'll discover which plants combine multiple seasons of appeal—spring flowers, summer structure, autumn color, and winter interest—to maximize your garden's year-round visual impact.

The message is clear: don't just admire these autumn stars in other gardens or nurseries. Now is the ideal planting time to secure these performers for your own landscape. Garden centers are currently showcasing these seasonal beauties, including exciting new varieties perfect for smaller spaces. By investing in autumn-interest plants today, you're ensuring your garden will celebrate rather than surrender to autumn's arrival for years to come.

For those following our perennial grow-along, send your questions about germination, growing conditions and next steps to [email protected], and join our YouTube live session on Monday at 8pm for comprehensive answers as we nurture the next generation of garden stars together.

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Until next week
Happy gardening
John