THIS has been an especially good year for autumn colour in our trees and shrubs, and it’s sad now to see only the last few leaves hanging on. Not all the tree skeletons that remain are dull and brown, however, with some only beginning to display their best colour after the leaves have dropped off.

Many species and varieties of cherry, birch, maple and dogwood have beautifully coloured and textured bark that will brighten up the garden throughout the winter months.

At Westonbirt Arboretum a few weeks ago, I photographed a fine specimen of Betula costata, whose creamy white bark far outshone most of the surrounding autumn leaves.

Back at Brockhole, alongside several other good examples of ornamental bark and stems, a rather ungainly Snake-bark maple, Acer davidii, has come into its own with the dropping of its leaves and the exposure of its snakeskin-like bark.

When trees are small, there is often little evidence of ornamental bark on their slender young trunks, so if you want to plant for winter colour and texture, you must do your decision-making from books and photographs, before leaving home for the garden centre.

Once planted and growing away, a tree can be persuaded to show off its stems and trunks to their best advantage with the help of a little judicious pruning. Remove a few of the lower side branches each winter, gradually producing a clear stem as the tree grows taller. Remove any suckers that are produced from the base, these will only detract from the beauty of the main trunk.

Resist the temptation to peel off loose bark to reveal shinier bark beneath, it will fall off when it’s ready; pulling it off too soon may damage the new bark.

Bare branches in trees and shrubs have another advantage for the gardener; once the leaves have fallen, it is much easier to see the shape and structure of the tree beneath. Dead or sickly branches are easy to spot and remove, as are crossing or misshapen limbs. Thinning a shrub is much easier once the leaves have fallen, and stems can be followed throughout their length and trimmed as necessary. In addition, the brash produced during pruning seems to take up less space when leafless and it generally fits through the shredder or into the compost bin more readily. Remember to make sure loppers, saws and secateurs are sharp before doing any winter pruning; untidy cuts made at this time of the year are ideal entry points for fungus, bacteria and other diseases.

Jobs for the gardener

- Lift and divide herbaceous plants if they are getting too large or if their vigour is becoming reduced. Replant only the stronger, outer sections of the plant.

- Cut down on the watering and feeding of conservatory and greenhouse plants now that light levels and outside temperatures are lower.

- Prune or clip any remaining beech or hawthorn hedges.