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Late summer colour in the garden.

August 24, 2015 By Jill Anderson 1 Comment

It’s easy to have plants to brighten up the garden in early summer, think roses and annuals that are keen to strut their stuff, but it can all look a bit lack-lustre towards the end of summer.

When I used to design gardens most people asked for more colour in their garden later in the summer, and with just a little planning, it’s really not that difficult.

Rudbeckia [cone-flower] fit the bill nicely, plant them in rich well-drained soil and they’ll flower from August right through to October.

late summer colour in the garden- yellow rudbeckia flowers

This border is in a garden I designed a few years ago showing bright yellow Rudbeckia fluid Goldsturm along with grasses [Calamagrostis acutiflora Karl Foerster] and Verbena bonariensis.

late summer colour in the garden- yellow Rudbeckia flowers

Yellow Rudbeckia flowers and grasses in late summer.

Sedum flowers come in a ranges of white, pink through to dark red.

I took this photo at the Highline in New York last September and I like the colours so much that I’m using it as my screen-saver at the moment. I don’t know exactly what the variety is but try Sedum Munster Dark Red or Sedum Purple Emperor if you want the type with red flowers. They like sun and well drained soil.

late summer colour in the garden-grasses, sedum flowers,

Red sedum flowers.

The flat plates of Achillea flowers make a good contrast with other late flowering perennials, the yellow ones look fabulous with blue Salvia flowers:

late summer colour- yellow flowers,Achillea, blue Geranium, Hosta,

Yellow Achillea, purple salvia and blue geranium flowers.

Dahlias take a bit more looking after than other flowers featured here, I dig mine up and keep them in a cold-frame or greenhouse over winter and they need stakes to support the flowers as they grow, but they’re worth it for their fabulous colours and to be able to have cut flowers for weeks on end.

These dahlias are from my allotment:

late summer colour in the garden-dahlia flower

Dahlias picked at the allotment.

A combination of late flowering plants and dead-heading plants that flower earlier in the year, will keep  your garden looking interesting and pretty into early autumn.

Read more about how to dead-head flowers here and planting ideas from the Chelsea Flower Show here.

Happy gardening, Jill

all photos: Jill Anderson.

Related posts:

late flowersing, Sedum spectabile, ice plantLate summer flowering plants plants in containers, flowers,How to look after plant pots when you’re away on holiday. Covent Garden Flower Market London, wedding flowers,Friday gardening favourites. Growing spectacular flowers from seed.

Related posts:

late flowersing, Sedum spectabile, ice plantLate summer flowering plants plants in containers, flowers,How to look after plant pots when you’re away on holiday. Covent Garden Flower Market London, wedding flowers,Friday gardening favourites. Growing spectacular flowers from seed.
Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Plants Tagged With: late flowering plants

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Comments

  1. rusty duck says

    August 24, 2015 at 6:21 pm

    Love that border with the rudbeckia. The only time I’ve ever tried to grow it it got munched by deer and then the following year by slugs. Really must give it another go!

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Hello, I’m Jill Anderson.
This is where you’ll find good, solid information about gardening, growing fruit & vegetables and how to keep it all looking good.
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The healing, calming power of nature in one photo. The healing, calming power of nature in one photo.
These wonderful autumn colours won’t be around for much longer. But that’s ok, because now is what matters, & their fleeting beauty makes them even more precious.
It’s easy to see how being among trees & nature is so beneficial for our health & wellbeing. 
Have a great Sunday.
Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it lo Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it look spectacular with this bold front door.
Today has been hard work, after a lovely time last week in Norfolk. The north coast there is spectacular. Realising these last few months, that there are so many beautiful places here. 
Have a nice evening.
Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Vis Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Visiting to see the Anish Kapoor sculptures, which are amazing, but unprepared for the beauty of the grounds & garden. 
Such a treat, worth coming to Norfolk for this alone!
Hope you’re keeping well, & managing to smile some of the time. x
P.S. more of Houghton Hall & Anish Kapoor on my stories
We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberrie We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberries, after coffee & cake, sitting in the churchyard - the cafe was full, & the churchyard is a quiet, peaceful spot..... as you’d expect.
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One little advantage of lockdown is walking so much more, rather than using the car. Though it shouldn’t have taken something as momentous as this, for me to change bad habits 🙁
Hope you’re weekend is going well.
My hazel arch, a bit lopsided 🙄 using wood from My hazel arch, a bit lopsided 🙄 using wood from a random clump of hazel on the garden. Now looking much better covered in winter squash plants, so you can’t see just how ramshackle it is. I like to think it has a certain home-spun charm .

Great for small space gardening, imagine how much room you need to grow these without vertical supports.

I’ve got 2 Uchiki kuri, lovely nutty flavour.
1 Turks turban, for its flamboyant shape & colours, though it also tastes good.
One unknown, grown by my grandsons in their homeschooled science lesson.
Close-ups of the squash over on my stories.
Stay cool my friends x
I wanted to show you this lovely lily ( Lilium reg I wanted to show you this lovely lily ( Lilium regale) which is flowering right outside our bedroom window. 
It gets sun for about 4 hours only, you can order the bulbs now for planting in September. It’ll reappear every year & waft delicious scent around your garden, or through your windows.
Have a very happy Monday x
It’s British Flower Week, there’s a lot to be It’s British Flower Week, there’s a lot to be said for fabulous seasonal flowers that haven’t travelled thousands of miles ...... & are wonderful for biodiversity
A bit of rain, nice long days (it’s almost mid-s A bit of rain, nice long days (it’s almost mid-summer!) & it’s, mostly, all growing nicely.

Spinach, courgettes & garlic in shot here. 
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday x
Hope is a decision I’ve thought long & hard abou Hope is a decision
I’ve thought long & hard about how to view the tumult in the world we’re living in now. 
The only thing that works for me, is to choose hope.

It’s a tall order, but avoiding mainstream news & speculation helps avoid the anxiety, that’s often waiting in the wings.

One day soon there’ll be grandchildren clambering over this again.
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