Don't despair - we may be firmly stuck in damp old autumn but trees and shrubs can give subtle displays of colour, advises GINA PARKINSON

WHEN autumn is over and the pavements are slippery with rotting leaves, the days are short and the weather damp and grey, it is easy overlook shrubs and trees that give a subtle display of colour and texture through the winter.

Rubus cockburnianus or the Whitewashed Bramble is grown for its long, dark, arching stems covered with a bright white bloom that create a spectacular feature in a winter garden.

Very hard annual pruning in spring produces the best display of stems on a plant that will then grow up to 1.2m high and spread around 2.4m each year.

The deciduous dark green leaves have a white underside and panicles of purple flowers in summer are followed by unpalatable black fruit.

Rubus cockburnianus 'Golden Vale' is slightly less vigorous and is best grown in semi-shade where hot summer sun won't scorch the golden leaves. Like all brambles these plants will thrive in most well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. They can be very invasive, spreading with suckers and by stems rooting where they touch the soil but hard annual pruning will keep growth in check.

Silver Birch or Betula pendula, is a popular tree grown for its yellow-green spring catkins and bright green leaves held on slender drooping shoots that gently move in the slightest breeze.

The foliage turns yellow in autumn and drops from the tree to reveal another season of interest, the silvery bark on the trunk which becomes black and rugged at the base as the tree matures.

Other species in the family with interesting bark, include the White Chinese Birch, Betula albosinensis, with deciduous oval shaped pale green leaves and peeling bark that is honey brown or coppery pink with a grey bloom.

The Yellow Birch, Betula alleghaniensis, is a multi-stemmed specimen with glossy amber or golden brown bark that peels in thin strips. Betula utilis is similar in growth but has startling bright pale trunk and stems that can be used to great effect in a large space where there is room for several trees to be planted together.

Betula will grow in any reasonable soil in sun or partial shade but they are shallow-rooted and will need regular watering until they are established after planting and in times of prolonged drought, especially if placed in a hot, sunny spot. Propagation is by seed, which is carried on the tree in strobiles that are picked just before they are ripe. Spread them out to dry and then rub between the fingers to separate the seed, plant immediately and germinate and grow on in a cold frame.

Another tree grown for its bark in Acer griseum, the Paper-bark maple, a tough slow growing plant that can eventually reach 6.5m or more high. The dark-green leaves have a grey-green underside and turn red and orange in autumn with a few occasionally remaining on young trees throughout winter. Inconspicuous flowers appear in spring followed by soft, downy, grey-green fruits.

Striking copper coloured bark on the stems and trunk peels off in large pieces to reveal lighter new bark below making it irresistible to stop and touch.

Acers can be difficult to propagate with fresh seed sown in autumn probably the best method. Collect the seed before it starts to dry out and harden in autumn and sow straight away in trays in a cold frame. Once they germinate in spring bring them into a warm greenhouse to accelerate growth and pot up individually once the first few leaves have grown.

Updated: 10:17 Saturday, November 23, 2002