DIARMUID GAVIN
finished but many will keep going with deadheading and feeding.
As we enter September 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 humusrich 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 lavender-blue 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 just 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.
■ Autumn sowing of hardy seeds will yield earlier flowering annuals next year.
■ Keep deadheading roses and dahlias to prolong flowering.
■ Purchase some prepared bulbs such as hyacinth and amaryllis which will flower in time for Christmas – they make great presents!
■ In the vegetable and fruit garden the main job is harvesting, but also think about ordering new fruit trees. You can also plant out your spring cabbages now but cover them with netting to protect from birds. Autumn onion sets and garlic can also be planted out now.
Bluebeard provides intensely blue flowers in late summer. It’s a deciduous shrub so will shed its lovely aromatic grey-green leaves in winter.
Grow in full sun with good drainage. Prune back in spring to maintain shape, and mulch. In a very bad winter it may suffer but it will most likely rejuvenate.
Hi Diarmuid
I have a wisteria which has produced a wonderful show of flowers this year.
My question is, it has produced some seed pods for the third year running and I have been trying to grow a plant from the pods without success. So, how is it done and when should you remove the pods from the plant?
Yours in hope,
J Page
■ While the soil is still warm it’s a good time for planting and for soil improvement.
■ Aerate your lawns and repair bald patches while we are still in the growing season.
■ When harvesting potatoes, remove all the little ones from the soil because these can harbour disease.
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Some flowers look finished but many will keep going with some deadheading