Fruits and berries are highly decorative on trees and shrubs in autumn and winter. The colours enliven the garden considerably, combining well with autumn leaf colour and making a dramatic show after leaf fall. There is a wide range of plants that carry colourful berries or fruits of some kind.

The native rowan has red berries, and there are yellow-berried forms, such as ‘Joseph Rock’ and ‘Wisley Gold’. There are several very beautiful white-berried forms, such as Sorbus cashmeriana, the Kashmir rowan. The small tree, Sorbus vilmorinii, has much-divided, almost ferny leaves, and bunches of red berries that fade to white.

The flowering crab-apples are prolific producers of decorative red or yellow fruits, about the size of a cherry. ‘Red Sentinel’ is among the best, with lots of red fruits that last well into winter. ‘Golden Hornet’ is a beautiful, very reliable yellow-fruited variety.

One of the best berrying plants is pyracantha, or firethorn. The Saphyr series of varieties ‘Rouge’, ‘Orange’ and ‘Yellow’ has shown good resistance to disease. Semi-evergreen Cotoneaster ‘Cornubia’ makes a small weeping tree, covered in bright red berries. Cotoneaster simonsii is deciduous, with bright berries dotted all over. One of the best is the herringbone Cotoneaster horizontalis, which looks great with the leaves gone.

The wild dog rose can be very attractive for a boundary hedgerow, the hips lasting after the leaves fall. Rosa moyesii is a tall shrub with red flowers followed prolifically by flagon-shaped, orange-red hips. The Japanese species Rosa rugosa makes a big broad bush with white or pink-purple flowers and very large rounded hips. Hawthorn berries are dark red in colour and do not make great colour impact, but hawthorn can be decorative planted in a hedgerow boundary.

The related Crataegus persimilis ‘Prunifolia’ has neat clusters of scarlet-red berries. The wild native holly species is Ilex aquifolium, with berries on female trees, bright red over evergreen leaves. ‘JC Van Tol’ has good red berries. ‘Handsworth New Silver’ has pale cream markings, dark-skinned twigs and bright red berries. There are yellow-berried kinds too, such as ‘Bacciflava’.

Viburnum opulus, the native guelder rose, produces clusters of translucent bright red berries. Callicarpus has bright violet-purple berries in good bunches on bare stems. Skimmia carries domed clusters of red berries over evergreen leaves. The berries are extremely long-lasting. The spindle is another good berrying small native tree, especially the variety ‘Red Cascade’.

Pernettya, now called gaultheria, which needs acidic soil, is very good for large berries in pink, purple or white – and they are not taken by birds. Nor are the snow-white berries of snowberry, or its purple form ‘Mother of Pearl’.

Arbutus is known as the Killarney strawberry tree, because it grows in that area and it has large, pendulous rounded fruits that look like strawberries.

Flowering dogwood trees, such as the Japanese dogwood, Cornus kousa, and the evergreen Chinese species, Cornus capitata, are splendid in flower in early summer and chestnut-sized fruits then develop, turning dull red in autumn and winter.

Daphne mezereum, a small shrub, often produces bright-red berries along the bare branches, usually on old plants and, though pretty, these berries can be a sign that the plant is about to die, it being a short-lived species.

Aucuba, or spotted laurel, is mainly grown for the spotted green leaves, but female plants may produce small clusters of bright red berries at the branch tips.

There are lots to choose from – and there is great benefit to wildlife, especially birds.CL

Bracket fungus

Bracket fungus is so prevalent around the country that most people are familiar with it, even if they know little about it. The brackets are produced close to ground or a bit higher, perhaps on some big tree limbs a few metres up.

They are perennial, often many years old, and simply build on another layer of growth each summer. This layer is white, compared to the brown, hard, older part of the bracket. It is alive and cool to the touch, while the older parts are hard and withered.

Each layer produces red-brown spores by the million and these are carried on the wind to new infection sites, usually on old trees. Once growing, the fungus feeds on the heart-wood of the tree, destroying its strength, making it useless as timber, and weakening the tree structurally. Bracket fungus is very common on beech, and old brackets can be a warning sign of a tree that is compromised.

Trees, shrubs and roses

Finish clipping hedges as soon as possible as it is getting late for clipping evergreens. Preparations for late-autumn tree planting could be made now, controlling existing grass and weeds. Roses have suffered badly with blackspot. Evergreen shrubs could be moved now if they need more space.

Lawns

Lawns are in good condition after the fine growing weather, and are unlikely to need any autumn feeding, unless they are very weak and pale. If moss is also growing, sulphate of iron could be applied now to knock back the moss and give the grass a chance to recover over the coming two months.

Fruit, vegetables and herbs

Plant spring cabbage if you have raised plants or buy a few. Continue to tidy up and remove old crops and weeds, as growth is still strong and the job will be more difficult later. Herbs such as mint and marjoram have become messy and can be cut back, dividing and re-planting if necessary.

Flowers

Plant spring bulbs as soon as possible. Try out some new kinds that might suit the existing plants in the garden. Conditions are ideal with heat in the soil and adequate moisture to encourage rooting immediately. Hanging basket can be kept going for a few weeks – more with some liquid feeding.

Greenhouse and house plants

Remove leaves and debris. Be careful not to over-water from now on. Water should be given on the basis of need, and soil and compost kept moist, not wet. Ventilate on dry, breezy days to air the greenhouse. At the first threat of frost, bring tender plants, like fuchsia, back under cover.