It is not too soon to say goodbye to the summer colours in your garden, by planting late-summer flowering plants you can extend the season of colour and interest, while also providing nectar to beneficial insects at the same time!
Late Summer-Autumn time is perfect for planting perennials and shrubs, it gives them a chance to get established before going into winter dormancy, then, come spring, they’re ready to thrive. Here are five plants that will keep your borders bright and vibrant as we head towards the end Summer.
Agapanthus
Perfect for adding height, structure, and interest to pots and borders. These exotic looking beauties are great for adding a splash of blue, with shades ranging from dark violet to pure white, plus the seedheads are super pretty too! Agapanthus pair well with many plants such as ornamental grasses and brightly coloured sun-loving plants, such as dahlias.
Lavender
A hardy and highly scented evergreen shrub that will thrive in that dry, sunny spot in the garden. During the Summer it hums with the sound of bees and wafts a fragrant, pleasing aroma across the garden. There are many varieties of lavender, choose Lavandula angustifolia or true lavender for colour and fragrance in June. Lavandula stoechas or Spanish lavender for blooms in later summer to autumn which also provides structure and a silver-green foliage during the winter months.
Caryopteris
Add Caryopteris to your pollinator bed, it is very hardy, attracts bees of all shapes and sizes, and blooms from late summer to early autumn, with an abundance of fluffy blue-purple flowers.
They thrive in light, even poor, well-drained soil, and once established require very little maintenance. It can grow as heigh as 3 feet which makes it ideal for the middle of a border, they also make a great companion plant for roses.
For a touch of pink, why not add Caryopteris “Pink Perfection” to the garden, we have these available in the plant area at the moment and can concur that they are stunning and are in fact a bee magnet!
Hebes
Hebe’s are a great option when it comes to evergreen shrubs, they are super hardy and offer a burst of colour during the summer months. The nectar-rich flower plumes come in tones of blue, purple and pink, and are extremely popular with butterflies and bees.
They pair well with perennials and ornamental grasses and provide good focal points within the garden in both summer and the winter months.
Clematis
For a fantastic display of later summer colour look for varieties that bloom well into autumn such as Clematis Jackmanii, Ernest Markham, and Viticella.
Viticella clematis are amongst the easiest and most reliable to grow and provide a mass of colour from July through to September. Offering compact and dense foliage that make a wonderful display when trailed up trellis or walls.
Other late flowering blooms that suit almost every garden are the likes of Salvia, Crocosmia, Japanese anemone, Hydrangea and sedum.
Despite shorter days, there are still plenty of things you can do to extend the summer season and keep your garden looking great until winter arrives, such as regularly deadheading flowering perennials and caring for containers by watering frequently.
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