Hello again! We are Ross & Ian – The Fixer Upper’s, known on Instagram for our house and garden renovations. We are currently embarking on our second renovation of a Victorian House and Garden in Hampshire and working with Hillier to bring our garden ideas to life!
Catch up with us on Instagram @ross_and_ian (https://www.instagram.com/ross_and_ian/)
Those of you that follow us on Instagram would have seen that we are still hard at work in the garden, making progress as we turn it into our little bit of paradise. We have been asked why we are still in the garden in Autumn, but the truth is, this is the best time to plant! So if you have spaces in your borders, now is the time to consider what plants to add. We have broken our choices into four sections for this month’s Hillier plant picks. You will find plants for all seasons, giving your garden the wow factor all year round.
To start here are some of our favourite plants and shrubs that look best in the Autumn.
Autumn Plants
If you have some shady areas that are seen all year round, why not add some evergreen ferns?
Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’
‘Sango-kaku’ is a stunning plant for autumn colour, featuring green and yellow leaves during the season. With an attractive stem throughout the year and coral-red branches, it looks great when planted as patio or container plants. Producing red berries in summer, Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ should not be overexposed to avoid leaf scorch.
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 8m x 4m | Lightly prune dead or diseased branches | Moist, well-drained | Full sun – partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Visit your local Hillier Garden Centre to purchase
Berberis thunbergii ‘Chiquita’
Berberis thunbergia ‘Chiquita’ is a small, colourful shrub that can add interest to all garden types. With vibrant pink foliage that transforms to a maroon colouration with gold edge, it produces yellow flowers during spring that are fantastic for pollination.
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 1m x 0.6m | Prune damaged or diseased shoots when required | Moist and well-drained | Full sun/partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Visit your local Hillier Garden Centre to purchase
Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’
This low maintenance, deciduous shrub is the epitome of autumn colour. With leaves of dark red that change to bronze and orange throughout September and October, it really is a focal point for any garden. Featuring delicate pink flowers during the spring, the foliage that Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ produces is really striking.
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 8m x 8m | Lightly prune dead or diseased branches | Well-drained | Full sun, partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Visit your local Hillier Garden Centre to purchase
Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’
Another beautiful Dogwood with orange-red and yellow stems and white flowers in summer. Cut back hard in the spring to ensure you get the best colour in the autumn and winter months. ‘Midwinter Fire’ often produces black berries in the autumn and looks brilliant when planted as part of a wildlife garden.
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 2.5m x 2.5m | Prune hard for vigorous regrowth | Moist and well drained | Full sun/partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Cotinus ‘Flame’
‘Flame’ is a fantastic low maintenance, deciduous shrub that produces pink flowers in the spring and pink berries during autumn for a brilliant look throughout a large portion of the year. The rounded leaves transform into a vivid red-orange colour in autumn and make it a great stand-out shrub for your garden.
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 8m x 4m | Lightly prune dead or diseased branches | Moist and well-drained | Full sun/ partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Visit your local Hillier Garden Centre to purchase
Evergreen Ferns
All of these plants were recently used in our new lawn garden border. We wanted these borders to look good all year round but to take centre stage in the Autumn-Winter, so we have chosen plants that do that!
Polystichum tsussimense
Also known as the Korean Rock Fern, Polystichum tsussimense is one of our favourite Ferns due to its size and the fact that it is evergreen. It has interesting foliage that looks great throughout the whole year, it is easy to grow and generally pest-free. Plant them in borders and beds for excellent results.
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 0.5m x 0.5m | Lightly prune dead or diseased branches | Moist and well-drained | Full sun to partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Doodia media
Another evergreen Fern, but this one has interesting leaves that change colour from pink to red to brown. Doodia media has a leathery look and works brilliantly if incorporated into Mediterranean style gardens. They are also generally pest and disease free, so they are ideal for a low-maintenance garden!
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 0.5m x 1m | Lightly prune faded branches | Moist and well-drained | Partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Lawn Garden Border
Some additional plants now look great in the winter but also as we transition into Spring 2023. All of the following plants were recently used in a new ‘Lawn Garden’ border. We wanted these borders to look good all year round but to take centre stage in the autumn and winter. We have chosen a mixture of plants that will do exactly that.
Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’
‘Elegantissima’ really lives up to its name! Providing beautiful deep red stems from the spring to autumn months, green, silver, white, and grey foliage, it is a shrub of stunning colour. White flowers appear throughout spring and summer, and white berries are produced in autumn. Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’ is very hardy.
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 4m x 4m | Prune hard for vigorous regrowth | Moist, well-drained | Full sun/ partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Helleborus HGC Ice N Roses Barolo
This very hardy Helleborus works well in smaller spaces like balconies or terraces and really stands out when planted amongst narcissus or Heuchera. The flowers grow tall for an added focal point and produce stunning white, pink, or red colouration in January.
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 0.5m x 0.6m | Lightly prune dead or diseased branches | Moist, well-drained | Full sun/partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Visit your local Hillier Garden Centre to purchase
Heuchera ‘Marmalade’
A hardy, evergreen perennial with ruffled leaves that emerge copper-red or pink and turn bronze or golden-yellow with age. Slender, upright stems bear panicles of small, bell-shaped, reddish-brown flowers in summer. It is great in a mixed border, rock or gravel garden, and is ideal in a patio pot.
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 0.5m x 0.5m | Lightly prune dead or diseased branches | Moist and well-drained | Full sun/partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’
This evergreen shrub has dark green, oval leaves that are a brilliant backdrop for other plantings. For extra interest, white flowers delicately appear during the spring season. Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ looks fantastic when planted in coastal gardens or borders.
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 1.5m x 1.5m | Requires little to no pruning | Moist and well-drained | Partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Spring interest
Finally some plants for the summer that will offer some beautiful colour and interest next year.
Camassia leichtlinii ‘Alba’
This perennial addition with narrow leaves produces beautiful cream-white flowers in late spring that wouldn’t look out of place in any border. It also comes in a blue variety if colour is more your thing and can look fabulous as part of a wildflower meadow.
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 1m x 0.5m | Prune faded flowers | Moist – well drained | Full sun/ partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Visit your local Hillier Garden Centre to purchase
Camassia leichtlinii Caerulea Group
Beautiful star-shaped blue flowers appear in late spring that wouldn’t look out of place in any border, and which also come in a cream-white variety if subtlety is more your thing. It works well when planted with Roses as the long thin leaves form a stunning backdrop.
Hillier plant care advice
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 1m x 0.5cm | Prune faded flowers | Moist and well-drained | Full Sun to partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Visit your local Hillier Garden Centre to purchase
We have picked another three Hellebores which will give your borders winter interest. Coming in a wide range of colours.
Helleborus ericsmithii HGC Frosty
‘Frosty’ is a hard, clump-forming, evergreen perennial with dark green leaves. From early winter until early spring, it dazzles with white flowers with a yellow centre, all held above the foliage. Great for darker borders, winter, spring, and woodland gardens or in containers.
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 0.5m x 0.5m | Prune faded flowers | Well-drained soil | Full sun/ partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Helleborus ericsmithii HGC Monte Cristo
A hardy, evergreen, well-proportioned perennial with blue-grey leaves and red stems. A heavy bloomer of cream-white flowers blushed peachy pink, produced in late autumn.
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 0.5m x 0.5m | Prune damaged or diseased shoots when required | Moist, well-drained | Partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Visit your local Hillier Garden Centre to purchase
Helleborus Niger ‘Advent Star’
A hardy, upright, evergreen perennial with dark green, leathery leaves. Masses of pure white flowers with delicate looking golden centres are produced from winter through to spring.
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 0.4m x 0.5m | Prune damaged or diseased shoots when required | Moist, well-drained | Partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Visit your local Hillier Garden Centre to purchase
Pulmonaria Raspberry Splash
This semi-evergreen perennial is the ideal ground cover plant with silver, white, and grey foliage all year round. The delicate, funnel-shaped flowers appear in clusters of bright red, transforming to purple as they mature.
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 0.5m x 0.5m | Prune faded flowers | Moist, well-drained | Full shade/partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Visit your local Hillier Garden Centre to purchase
Summer interest
Thalictrum ‘Splendide’
Hardy throughout the UK, ‘Splendide’ is a beautiful herbaceous perennial that has green, yellow, and brown foliage during the autumn months. Lilac-mauve flowers look beautiful, emphasised by their large leaves. This option is generally pest-free and is a brilliant low-maintenance variety for a gravel garden.
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 1.5m x 0.5m | Prune faded flowers | Moist, well-drained | Partial shade | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’
Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpurem’ is an extremely hardy perennial with spiny leaves that are usually formed in clumps. Thistle-shaped flowers of deep red appear in the summer. ‘Atropurpurem’ can grow quite tall, so plant it at the back of the border. You will find this plant in one of the borders ‘Veronica’s Corner’.
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 1.5m x 0.5m | Prune hard after flowering | Moist, well-drained | Full sun | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Visit your local Hillier Garden Centre to purchase
Catananche caerulea ‘Major’
Also known as Cupid’s dart ‘Major’, this herbaceous perennial features narrow, erect leaves and delicate blue daisies throughout summer and autumn. Catananche caerulea works great in gravel gardens.
| Height x Spread | Pruning | Soil | Sun | Water |
| 1m x 0.5m | Prune faded flowers | Well-drained | Full sun | Water regularly until well-established and through warm, dry periods |
Visit your local Hillier Garden Centre to purchase
About Ross & Ian
Ross and Ian met in June 2014 and purchased their first property together in August 2016, a 1930’s semi-detached house in Berkshire which was in need of being ‘fixed up’. The house has been rented out for 19 years so was in need of some serious TLC, a lot of the original features were moved (including fireplaces and internal doors) which meant the house had lost its charm and character and this was something Ross and Ian wanted to add back to the house.
So with an exciting renovation challenge ahead, Ross and Ian decided to document their journey through Instagram as a way of looking back on all the things they would go on to achieve as well as share updates with friends and family, and so, ‘Our 1930s Fixer Upper’ was created.
Fast forward to 2022 and now with an audience of over 100,000 followers, Ross and Ian have sold their 1930s home and have moved into a new Victorian ‘fixer upper’, that is once again in desperate need of being brought back to its former glory.
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