Autumn colour in the Botanic Gardens, Dublin One of the best things about autumn is the beautiful array of colour in many deciduous trees and shrubs. Trees and shrubs are generally low maintenance and provide strong structure to the planting scheme in a garden. Here are a selection of trees and shrubs looking brilliant in Dublin in autumn - a mix of well-known favourites and more unusual varieties. Autumn colour for a small garden or patio... Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) J

I really enjoyed designing this planting scheme for Cathal and his family in Cabinteely. The original Acer palmatum, now underplanted with another Japanese plant Hakonechloa macra. Heuchera, a soft fern (Polystichum setiferum), and the striking red blades of Imperata ‘Red Baron’ are in the bed behind it. Their one existing plant in the garden was a gorgeous Japanese maple, which we used to set the theme an Asian-tropical feel with plenty of lush foliage. Plating includes Agap

Planting area the following July It was a joy working with Ronan and Sapna on a planting plan for their front garden in Raheny. They had a great wish list: Some native Irish plants Some drought-tolerant Mediterranean plants Something for every season including early flowering plants Pollinator-friendly Safe for pets Low maintenance Shallow-rooted in spots than due to recently added hardcore They already had a lovely olive tree and magnolia tree in pots, so we worked those int

Summer pruning is an essential task for keeping apple and pear trees healthy, productive, and well-shaped.