The late-flowering brigade get my vote
Our garden is a plot of two halves. On the shady side, I’m still busy planting late-flowering perennials, such as anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ and hesperantha, encouraged by a sudden universal growth spurt since the overpowering viburnum was removed. In contrast, I’m starting to put the sunny border to bed, cutting back and lifting semi-hardy perennials for overwintering under cover. I’ve also dug out and split invasive filipendula into more manageable pieces to replant in a better position next spring.
Thalictrum aquilegifolium has seeded everywhere back and front so I’m busy digging that up, ready for next year’s plant sales. I’ve also gone red hot poker mad! After the success of Kniphofia rooperi on the roof terrace I’ve added ‘Green Jade’ and curly-leaved ‘Limelight’, which has six flowers emerging at this late stage, along with a curtain of Verbena bonariensis.
I’ve lost several moisture lovers, including purple loosestrife, through drought this summer. But I’ve finally succumbed to moisture-loving Lobelia tupa seeing as we’re having a proper irrigation system installed next spring. In the meantime, it can wait out the winter in a large pot under cover. In the greenhouse, tomatoes and cucumbers have made way for the overwintering perennials. I’ve made a start on cuttings, as insurance, especially from my lobelia ‘Russian Princess’, rudbeckia ‘Prairie Glow’ and salvias. Without all the froth of petunias and nasturtiums, the
patio has evolved into a sultry hideaway. The exuberance of the canna blooms has made way for more subtle displays of fuchsias, heucheras, coleus and ferns. I’ve bought several packets of February and March-flowering dwarf iris for the empty pots, which should narrow the gap between this year and next.
Anything that flowers at this time of year gets my vote. Real stunners are rose ‘Mutabilis’, jazzy persicaria ‘Painter’s Palette’, caryopteris ‘Hint of Gold’, bidens ‘Hannay’s Lemon Drop’, aster ‘Calliope’ and, of course, my pokers. Autumn colour is provided by the virginia creeper along the back fence, and the dogwoods are starting to lose their leaves to reveal red, lime and orange stems.