We Know that summer over when the days become shorter and the nip in the air reminds us that winter will be with us in the not too distant future.

However to ease us into that season, nature blesses us with what many perceive to be one of the best times of year - autumn. Autumn heralds one of the great spectacles of all the seasons, when vast tracks of countryside are transformed dramatically as trees change leaf colour.

We are lucky enough to be able to bring a last great blaze of glory into our own gardens by planting those trees and shrubs that glow like fire even on the dullest of days.

Every shade of yellow, orange and crimson imaginable is afforded by one major group of trees-the Acer (maples) and there is a wide range to suit gardens of all sizes. Although Acers 'piece de resistance' is autumn colour they offer appeal in the garden year round with beautiful leaf structure, seeds, flowers and where some varieties contribute even more with their decorative bark.

Many ornamental maples prefer a slightly acidic soil and benefit from dappled shade, Japanese maples, especially A. palmatum 'Dissectum' is ideally suited for growing in a large pot or as a focal point in a small lawn or raised bed. Grown in the ground this particular maple has a somewhat rounded, shrubby appearance with cascading branches. It can grow from four to six feet and has an eventual spread of five to eight feet.

Container grown Acers can be planted at any time of year provided that the ground is not waterlogged or frozen. Work in copious amounts of peat, but remember peat on its own is devoid of nutrients so add a balanced, slow release fertiliser before infilling. Water in well to help settle the soil around the roots and remember to give your tree an annual top dressing of organic material to help keep it in tip-top condition.

If you plan to keep your Acer containerised, use John Innes ericaceous compost, which is soil-based and affords a lot more substance than ordinary multi-purpose compost. Keep an eye on any containerised plants as they can dry out fairly quickly. In spring, scrape off approximately two inches (five centimetres) of the compost, replacing it with fresh adding in a slow release fertiliser. Again, situate the container where your Acer is protected from strong winds and ideally where it will receive sunlight at either end of the day.

Choose A. griseum not only for its foliage but for its bark, which peels away in autumn revealing a gleaming orange-brown surface underneath.

If you have a large garden consider planting Liquidamber styracifina (Sweet Gum), which will reward you with two glorious months of blazing colour in the autumn. Its maple-like leaves slowly change from glossy green to deep purple and then through shades of red, orange and yellow. It too, sports heavily fissured, corky bark, which affords added interest. This time of year is ideal planting time; work in plenty of rich organic matter and plant in full sun. Do remember however this beauty can reach up to sixty feet and can have an eventual spread of thirty feet so this is not a tree for small gardens.

But don't despair; Rhus typhina with its fern-like leaves and eventual height and spread of ten feet is ideal for the smaller garden and is as showy as any maple. There is a tendency for Rhus to produce suckers but use these for propagation in early spring. Be wary of the sap however, as it can be a skin irritant. Rhus enjoys a well-drained soil in full sun so work in plenty of organic material prior to planting.

So although autumn is often associated with the slippery slope to winter, at least in the interim, we are treated to one of the most exquisite displays of colour in our gardens and in the wider countryside that we are likely to experience all year.