As the sun sinks lower in the sky through October its low rays highlight the dazzling rich oranges, yellows and reds that bedeck many trees and shrubs. Other plants, such as shrub roses, produce vibrant hips in shades of red and orange if they are not dead-headed in the summer. Most summer perennials have finished flowering by autumn, but if they are not cut back you will have the benefit of architectural seed heads and structural stems in tones of sandy brown, which look fantastic with early autumn frosts on them. Summer flowering grasses such as Miscanthus, Panicum and Stipa also give excellent structure, colour and textural movement through the autumn as their flower heads fade through shades of brown. At RHS Garden Hyde Hall we cut back all our grasses and perennials in the spring to give us this structure through the autumn and winter. For added winter colour now is also a great time to plant up winter containers and pots to add a zest of colour through until the spring.