Gorgeous crab-apples!

As the last of the leaves are shed this month, the importance of other decorative features comes to the fore and one of the most important of these is the value of fruits and berries. A good number of trees and shrubs carry berries and fruits after the leaves have gone, but none as dramatically as the fruiting crabapple trees.

There are several kinds of crabapples that carry good autumn fruits. The effect of brightlycoloured rounded fruits festooned along the branches is very decorative. Even before the leaves finally fall these will appear pretty, but after the leaves fall they are quite stunningly beautiful. Ideally, a ray of late-afternoon sunshine should light them up - perfect.

There are several good varieties that are generally available. 'Gorgeous' is well named - it is a gorgeous plant, a good grower, and though not huge when mature, it carries a good crop of large, round, crimson-red fruits every year. Some years are better than others but it is very reliable.

'Golden Hornet' has masses of small, yellow fruits that turn to orange-yellow as they age. 'Butterball' is a beauty with large round fruits. 'Red Sentinel' has lots of small fruits, probably the best of the crab-apples for holding onto its fruits well into late winter.

Most of these varieties can be purchased as young trees with a few fruits on them and this is a good way to see if you like the colour, size and shape of the fruits. All of them are very easy to grow in any ordinary soil, but plant in a sunny position to encourage as much fruiting as possible. While they are grown principally for their decorative value of their fruit, most of these crab-apples also give some good autumn colour of the leaves and they have a good show of spring blossom too, usually white.

Care for the environment: Feed the birds.

One of the most important roles for gardens is their ability to support significant populations of some bird species. As habitat has been lost in the countryside over decades, the garden environment with its mixture of trees, shrubs, bare earth areas and lawns has become an important substitute. Feeding birds with special foods has become common practice and it has been shown to help maintain the population of garden birds and occasional visitors. Use purposemade bird foods and remember to clean off the food tables from time to time with anti-bacterial cleanser to reduce the chances of disease spread among visiting birds.