If you want your garden to keep looking good throughout the months ahead, then these fabulous plants are sure to bring a boost of colour throughout late summer and autumn. There are options to suit every colour scheme, and plants that will thrive in pots as well as your borders. Our choices include recommendations from the Gardeners’ World team and familiar faces from across the gardening industry.
Find more August inspiration
- Five ways to boost your garden in August
- Alan Titchmarsh’s favourite plants for August colour
- Monty’s gardening jobs for August
- Plants for beautiful August pots
Tulbaghia violacea
Chosen by Nick Bailey, Gardeners’ World presenter
One of my favourite plants on the planet, this South African perennial starts blooming in mid-summer and continues all the way into autumn. Related to alliums and often called society garlic, its grass-like foliage has an onion note to it, but it’s the pale pink clusters of bell-shaped blooms held aloft skinny stems which really endears it to me.
Single dahlias
Chosen by Arit Anderson, Gardeners’ World presenter
No getting away from it, dahlias are my favourites for autumn colour. A wide range of colours, sizes and flower shapes, there is something for every garden and every container! A single variety, such as Dahlia ‘Lou Farman’ or the ‘Twyning’s’ series, not only looks good but is great as late nectar for pollinators.
Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Atrosanguinea’
Chosen by Sue Kent, Gardeners’ World presenter
Growing both in shade and blasting sun in my garden is the vigorous and reliable Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Atrosanguinea’. It forms a large clump around one meter tall, suppressing weeds and filling border space with its pointed leaves in spring. From midsummer to autumn it has breezy slender spikes of insect-attracting crimson flowers.
Rudbeckia ‘Cherry Brandy’
Chosen by Sinead Fenton, Aweside Farm manager
This was one of the first cut flowers I was introduced to when I began volunteering and growing at a community garden in London, years ago, so it’s one I hold dearly as it sparked a curiosity and awe for flowers that has continued to grow since my first encounter. The deep rich crimson comes at just the right time of the year and is ever so soothing, as the fast paced summer begins to come to a close and the slower, cozy autumnal months are on the way.
Shrubby salvias
Chosen by Catherine Mansley, digital editor
The short, shrubby salvias in my garden start flowering at the beginning of June and don’t stop until the end of November. The vibrant flowers are a magnet for bees and the leaves smell heavenly when you brush past. If, like me, your garden is in a mild, sheltered spot, they’ll overwinter – give them good drainage and a little winter protection if not. I like to plant bright pink varieties, like Salvia x jamensis ‘Raspberry Royale’, with deep purple penstemons, and deep purple varieties, like S. ‘Nachtvlinder’ with bright pink penstemons.
Penstemon ‘Raven’
Chosen by Cel Robertson, founder of Forever Green flower company
I discovered Penstemon ‘Raven’ over 20 years ago, and it is still one of my favourite perennials for late summer colour. Reminiscent of the foxglove, the dark burgundy-purple flowers with a white throat are held on long stems and attract a range of pollinating insects. Keep dead-heading and it will produce flowering stems for months through summer and autumn.
Calibrachoa
Chosen by Jason Williams, creator of the Cloud Gardener blog
A tremendous, continuously flowering trailing plant. Perfect for baskets, window boxes and spillers around the edge of containers. Flowers through summer until the first frosts of autumn.
Tithonia ‘Torch’
Chosen by Oliver Parsons, horticultural sub-editor
Huge, rich-orange flowers held high on delicate, hollow stems – tithonias are a real star for August and September. Sow indoors in spring, then plant out into rich, moisture-retentive soil in full sun and away from wind in June, once it’s big enough to fend off the snails.
Anemone hupehensis ‘Splendens’
Chosen by Lily Middleton, content creator
Japanese anemone flowers are particularly perfect in my humble opinion, with bold pink petals surrounding a vibrant yellow centre. Anemone hupehensis ‘Splendens’ is a compact variety, meaning it is also perfect for pots.
Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’
Chosen by Adam Duxbury, commissioning editor
Hydrangeas are a real class act as the summer draws to a close. I’ve just planted two Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ in my front garden and can’t wait until they get big enough to greet me as I come home, with their calming white flower heads that I know will shine out from my North-facing plot.
from BBC Gardeners World Magazine https://ift.tt/A6n2xEM
