Alan Titchmarsh says "nobody should be without" this beautiful garden addition. With the bleak, wintery weather settling across the UK - our beloved gardens are looking a little lifeless. Those beautiful summer blooms have well and truly gone, and the once clean patios are now covered in moss and fallen leaves.

Many plants need to be pruned or taken inside at this time of year to help protect them from the incoming frost - or to encourage future flowering next year. However, the TV gardening legend has raved about a little-known tree guaranteed to add a splash of colour back into you garden. It's easy to maintain, looks stunning, and can even fit in a small back yard. Introducing the autumn-flowering cherry Prunus subhirtella, 'Autumnalis'.
Autumnalis looks stunning in the colder months (
Image:
Getty Images/imageBROKER RF)

Cherry blossoms in November might sound like the punchline of some awful dad joke, but the Autumnalis loves to come out to play when all the other flowering cherries have gone dormant. "Right now, that blossom is carried on bare branches that show it off beautifully against a clear blue sky," Alan wrote in his column for the Mirror. "The individual flowers may be creamy white or, in my favourite variety 'Autumnalis Rosea', a delicate shade of pink, making the whole effect like that of coconut ice."

The tree should be planted on the back of a border or in a lawn where bulbs can be planted at its base. Alan recommends dwarf narcissus such as 'Tete-a-tete' which will create a gorgeous display in Spring 2025. Harsh frosts may stop the tree's flowering for a while, but the ace says it will soon 'pick up where it left off and start to open its buds all over again'.

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"Planted now, in soil that has been enriched with plenty of organic matter, you can sit back and enjoy the autumn cherry's instant effect," Alan added. "As far as pruning goes you need not worry a jot. Snipping out a few stems in the tree's youth to ensure it stays shapely and evenly canopied is all that is necessary.

"After that, just let it get on and cheer you up each autumn and winter. I can think of few small trees so easy to look after which are so reliable at brightening the seasonal garden. No one should be without one."

If you're keen to plant the colourful tree, check your nearest garden centre or online retailers. It may not look particularly interesting in summer, but is bound to brighten up you garden all winter long.

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