IT’S THE LATE LATE SHOW
With a bit of work you can keep the colour blooming throughout September
OUR garden has been battered by storms Ellen and Francis recently. Some herbaceous plants were flattened by the wind and blossoms left ragged from rain and even hail showers.
Taller plants that may have benefited from staking are now lying on the ground, their blossoms face down in the earth. I’ll cut these and pop them in a vase to enjoy them indoors.
Hopefully, September will be sedate and as the children settle back in school the weather will treat us to an Indian summer.
It’s a good time to tidy the garden for continued enjoyment.
Some summer flowers may be finished but many will keep going with deadheading and feeding.
With September in full swing, it is also a good time to plant new perennials while the soil is still warm so they get a chance to settle in before winter.
There are some beautiful plants that are at their best at this time of year and will bring new life to your plot.
Japanese anemones are late flowering and a great plant for brightening areas of partial shade but can sometimes lose the run of themselves.
‘ Konigin Charlotte’ is a deliciously pink variety with semi- double flowers and is less invasive than many of the other pinks.
Another well behaved and beautiful variety is ‘ Honorine Jubert’, which has elegant single white blooms.
There’s a new cultivar called ‘ Frilly Knickers’ which was due to be launched by Hardy Plants at this year’s now- cancelled Hampton Court Show and is sure to be a favourite.
Perfect for a cottage style or relaxed garden it has a romantic appearance with ruffled semi- double petals.
Each pure white petal is suffused with pale lilac and finely frilled, surrounding a centre of golden stamens.
The petals are layered, with the lower petals brushed with a deeper violet – just gorgeous! All are best planted in humus- rich moist soil.
Michaelmas daisies are also a good bet for late summer colour and an important source of late nectar for our friends the bees and butterflies.
One of the best is Aster x frikartii ‘ Monch’ which has beautiful lavenderblue flowers that will keep going right through September and October.
It has good disease resistance and will form a low- growing bush. Plant in full sun in well - drained soil. ‘ Little Carlow’ is also a very popular cultivar at the moment, prized for its abundant violet- blue flowers.
For smaller borders or pots, try the vibrant ‘ Royal Ruby’ with masses of maroon flowers. Plant asters in moist, well- drained soil in full sun or partial shade and cut back after flowering.
Sedums or Autumn Stonecrops are starting to open up their flower heads.
Initially green, these will gradually get rosy pink and deepen their colours over the coming months.
The seed heads can be left for winter interest and chopped back in spring.
The boffins who name plants have decided sedums should now be called Hylotelephium, but since it’s not the catchiest name I suspect we’ll still be calling them sedums for a while yet!
Another lovely source of late nectar for our pollinators, they will add a welcome splash of colour to your borders.