The fantastic fusion of colour that can be achieved in your garden throughout autumn is without doubt one of the highlights of the season. As well as the overspill of summer blooms, late flowering perennials such as Japanese anemones, crocosmias and Michaelmas daisies (Aster novi-belgii) are all great additions for the autumnal garden.

Trees come into their prime in the autumn with varieties including maples and Parrotia persica brightening up residential streets and gardens with their leaves in every shade of yellow, orange, purple and red. The Royal Horticultural Society recommend Vitis coignetiae as their large leaves provide spectacular colour before they fall. Look to add some flowering bulbs and corms, such as cyclamen and colchicums to your garden as they will make perfect additions to the autumn display.

Berries and fruits contribute to the richness of autumn hues, and if you are planning to plant further fruit trees now is the perfect time as the tree will have time to settle in before the severe frosts. For new trees it is also wise to tie a stake to the trunk of the tree to avoid it being blown over in any autumn winds. For more advice on growing your own fruit and berries see Fruit Garden.

This is also the perfect season for focusing on your lawn. Read our step-by-step guides to Creating a Lawn From Seed and Creating a Lawn From Turf and get your garden looking green again!

Caring for your plants is obviously a year- round challenge, but when it comes to pruning, timing is very important. Pruning too early in autumn can result in soft new growth that's too weak to withstand the winter cold, while pruning too late could lead to frost damage. Find out when and how to prune your plants with our Pruning Tips!

Keep your garden looking great all year round with our Winter Gardening Tips, Summer Gardening Tips and Spring Gardening Tips. Plus there's more seasonal advice in Looking After Your Garden.

The top right-hand image is of a Crimson Glory Vine 'Vitis coignetiae' available from Crocus.