The Glen Innes countryside has come alive in the past few weeks, bursting with rich red and orange trees – lining the highways.

But as the temperature plummets, the threat of frost can deter even the most experienced gardeners from taking the plunge and making the most of the crisp autumn weather.

This week The Examiner met with gardening guru and Cool Climate Garden Centre owner Ron Kiehne who said autumn is in fact an excellent time to plant.

“This time of year is an ideal time to plant because if you get a deciduous tree and put it in the ground, it will establish its roots during autumn and winter and then, come spring, it’s not trying to grow roots and leaves at the same time,” he said.

“So, as soon as spring comes, it’s ready to put its top out.”

But Mr Kiehne said there are still some rules when it comes to planting in cooler climates.

“Stay away from any tropical plants,” he said.

“And while a lot of our plants will thrive on cooler coastal areas, they just don’t colour so well.”

Golden Ash, Claret Ash, Gleditsia, Tulip Trees and Crepe Myrtles are ideal in Glen Innes and throughout the New England. 

“We also have a lot of ornamental fruit trees such as Crabapples – they do really well here,” he said.

The fruit trees usually bear fruit around January and February, which can be used for jams.

“Cherries, apricots, plums, ornamental pears, paulownias, robinias, peaches and apples will all flower in spring,” he said.

And if you want an evergreen?

“Conifers are very popular here and they are the bones of your garden during winter because they’ve always got colour and they don’t lose their leaves,” he said.

“Ginkgo Biloba has a beautiful yellow throughout autumn … it’s also one of the oldest trees known.

“All those colours you see driving down the highway are maples, poplars and deciduous trees.” 

For more advice, call Ron on 0429 321 551 or drop by the garden.