Never have wild spindle trees looked so well. After two good summers of growth, the trees are outdoing themselves. The first good summer of growth allowed them to make a copious number of flower buds and the second year was ideal for flowering and setting the fruit.

If you don’t know of a wild tree in your area, watch out for those planted on some of the motorway banks. On the motorway they are only about one or two metres tall, still quite young plants. But growing in old field hedges and on the woodland edge, they can be six metres tall. Spindle grows in most parts of the country, especially on limy soil, but also in acidic soil areas, often near lakes.

It’s a straggly tree, with long, whippy shoots, often growing unevenly, in various directions, and it is not very decorative when not in fruit. But with a good show of berries on board, it can be remarkable.

The berries are crimson-red or dark pink-red, starting out brighter red and fading a little. Each of the fruit has four lobes, like blunt corners. Usually one or more of the lobes has a seed inside and this is exposed when the lobe splits and the bright orange seeds are revealed. These are retained for a while by a thread that eventually breaks and the seeds fall to the ground. The combination of soft crimson-pink and bright orange is very pretty. The tree gets its common name of spindle because its long, straight branches were once used to make spindles to hold balls of spinning wool for weaving. There is often some colouring on the leaves – shades of yellow with a red flush – and these fall before the berries.

The wild spindle is not much grown in gardens because it is a bit straggly, but there is a more compact form called Red Cascade, which is usually prolific in fruit. There are other species that are quite like the wild spindle, but making trees of better shape. Easily the most popular of these is the winged spindle, euonymus alatus, from China, which has corky wings along the young branches. It is one of the best autumn colour trees, reliably turning to blazing shades of red in October, even in limy soil.

It carries little or no fruit, but the colour of the leaves alone makes it worthwhile growing. It makes a small tree or large bush, to two metres or so, usually on one stem, and it is ideal for a small garden or where space is limited. If it gets too big, the branches can be thinned out and shortened and it will re-sprout well.

Though not common and only occasionally offered by garden centres, euonymus phellomanus is similar to the winged spindle, but a bigger plant, with larger leaves. The species euonymus planipes is another beauty, that makes a nicely shaped small tree with good autumn colour in yellow, orange and red shades. Red Elf carries masses of fruit and the leaves turn to pretty shades of yellow and red in autumn. These trees are easy to grow in any ordinary garden soil that is reasonably well drained. They like limy soil, but also grow well in acidic soil. If the soil does not suit it, euonymus does badly, hardly growing. The trees carry more fruit and give better autumn colour when grown in sunshine. Make sure to allow space for the tree to make its mature size of about four metres tall and three metres wide. CL

Leeks for winter

Leeks are a great winter vegetable, useful in many ways in the kitchen, robust and long-lasting in the ground. It is easy to lift a leek or two as necessary and leave the others growing and fresh. They last right through the winter and into spring. The condition of the plants declines as winter passes. The extent of decline depends on the variety, the weather and conditions in the garden.

It pays to make sure there are no weeds around the plants, to allow some air to circulate and reduce the incidence of leaves rotting. Having the ground weed-free makes the plants easier to lift and clean for use.

Flowers

Complete the planting of all kinds of spring bulbs as soon as possible this month. Remove summer bedding and put in bedding plants for spring colour now. Change over pots and hanging baskets at the same time. Divide perennial flowers and plant new plants. Lift dahlias, begonias and gladioli in frosty localities.

Trees, shrubs & roses

Complete planting of root-balled evergreens or moving evergreens before the cold weather comes and start planting bare-root deciduous trees and shrubs as soon as the leaves are off. All kinds of pot-grown trees and shrubs can be planted, although it would be best to wait until spring in very exposed areas.

Fruit, veg & herbs

Lift and store potatoes and carrots now for winter use, if not already done. Parsnips generally keep better when left in the ground. Prepare ground for planting new fruit trees and bushes. Prune raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries. Remove old vegetables as soon as they are finished.

Lawns

Continue mowing as late as possible, as long as the ground is reasonably firm. Application of autumn lawn fertilizer is not so effective now, but can still be used if the soil is dry enough and this will improve the winter appearance of the lawn. Use lawn mosskiller if moss has become a problem and needs to be controlled.

Greenhouse & house plants

Pick the last tomatoes and ripen the green ones bigger than a golf ball indoors. Keep the greenhouse tidied of debris and leaves, and ventilate it occasionally on a sunny day. Water very little to reduce the risk of grey mould disease. Ease off watering house plants and stop feeding.