THE last two weeks have seen the leaves on the trees really start to change colour.

There has been a crisp edge to the early morning air and the fruit seem to be sagging with tiredness on its branches rather than boasting a plump, healthy glow. The robin has started proclaiming his territory and the hedgehogs are snuffling around, searching out suitable hibernation holes.

The cause of all this is the altered angle at which the sunlight enters our atmosphere. As the earth makes its spinning orbit around the sun, it creates the mechanisms for all of our seasonal changes. During autumn and winter, the sun's rays have to travel through more of our atmosphere before they reach solid earth. The rays hit more particular matter, which diffuses the light and make it travel slower. All of these factors make the light appear much softer. There is a warm glow making everything seem muffled and serene.

This concept can be used to plan and create the most brilliant autumn borders. The angled light rays at this time of year means that the 'hot' colours - the reds, oranges and yellows - really come alive. Nature has very thoughtfully provided us with a plethora of trees, shrubs and plants that display their best hot colours at just this time of year.

Everyone immediately thinks of the Acers in autumn. They have quite dramatic leaf colour throughout the year, but in this season they can dance with all the burning hues of a forest fire. Acer palmatum 'Dissectum' is a compact form of the tree and would suit the smaller garden. The leaves turn from red to copper orange. Acer palmatum atropurpureum goes from purple to cochineal red. Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' starts off green before firing up to blazing orange.

It's not just the Japanese trees that can show off though. Our native spindle tree (Euonymous) puts on a fine deep scarlet display. This is exaggerated by the blancmange pink pods and orange seeds dangling from its branches.

Stags-horn sumach (Rhus) is a very hardy little tree. In foreign countries you can often see it growing to massive proportions. The fine feathery leaves quickly turn from green through to yellow, orange and, with a final flourish before falling off with exhaustion, deep crimson.

One of the best colours comes from a little known tree called Liquidambar styraciflua. It doesn't have a common name, but the Latin may give it away, as the leaves do resemble liquid amber.

The deep red drama queen of them all though has to be the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus). It clings anonymously to the wall most of the year without even a whimper then all of a sudden explodes into a Joseph's coat of many purples. You often find yourself thinking 'where on earth did that come from?'

So, although the best of summer has now passed us by and the border plants have bloomed and gone, there is still plenty to tease and please the eye in the garden.

Published: 12/10/2002