Parks and gardens are clothed with fiery leaves and jewelled with berries shining in the sun after the downpours we have experienced this month.

It is a lovely time of year to be outside working in the garden or walking through deciduous woodland in the soft October light.

Some of the acers turn magnificently this month with lowering temperatures turning the dark green foliage of red maple, Acer rubrum, to glowing red and the leaves of Acer capillipes from bright green to hues of rich scarlet and orange. Older branches of this tree are green and white striped hence the common name Snake-bark maple. Acers need sun or partial shade and any fertile, well-drained soil although some species need neutral or acid soil to produce their best autumnal colours.

Species are propagated by seed collected fresh and sown immediately in trays placed in a cold frame. When germination takes place in spring the trays can be moved to a warm greenhouse to accelerate growth, and the seedlings potted up individually when they are big enough to handle. Most species will come true from seed but cultivars are variable and are usually grafted, although if there is plenty of seed it is worth sowing a lot and picking out the best of the seedlings.

Mountain ash species, part of the Sorbus family, are good late season trees, providing fiery berries and leaves over a long period. Our native Rowan Sorbus aucuparia bears red fruit and red or yellow leaves in autumn while S.a. 'Fructu Luteo' has similarly coloured leaves but orange-yellow fruit.

Sorbus 'Joseph Rock' has yellow berries that tend to be avoided by birds and orange, red, and purple foliage. Both Sorbus hupehensis and S.vilmorinii have bright autumn foliage and pink berries, while the fruit of Sorbus cashmiriana are pearly white. Sorbus needs fertile, well drained soil and sun or partial shade but the mountain ash species and varieties with foliage made up of many small leaflets do not grow well in dry conditions.

We have one of my favourite trees growing in the front garden. Amelanchier or Snowy Mespilus has young coppery foliage in early spring, is covered in white blossom a few weeks later, carries red berries maturing to black in summer and then turns shades of red, orange and yellow in autumn before losing its leaves for a well earned rest in winter. Ours grows with red stemmed variegated dogwood, and supports delicate blue flowered Clematis 'Frances Rivis' in spring and tentacles of variegated nasturtium from late summer until the frost kills them off. Amelanchier is easy to grow in sun or partial shade and will tolerate all but chalky soils. Given time it will grow 6m/20ft or more but it can be pruned and grown as a small tree or shrub or even as hedging.

Updated: 15:45 Monday, January 21, 2002