seasonal plants
Rachel vogan shares her picks of plants to look out for this month.
NEW: LAVANDULA ‘Lavish BLUE’
Numerous clusters of massive double mauve-blue flowers adorn this compact silver-leafed lavender. The flower heads look enormous, yet they sit up well on the plants. Lightly give the entire plant a haircut after flowering. Full sun is essential, as is good drainage.
NEW: SCAEVOLA hot Rox ‘Crystal’
Masses of pure-white fan-shaped flowers smother the ground-covering foliage for months on end. Commonly known as the fan flower, this is the perfect type of perennial to plant underneath roses and other flowering shrubs, like camellias, to add a punch of white.
NANDINA DOMESTICA ‘obsession’
This plant is a standout throughout the year with its multiple-coloured red, green and yellow leaves. ‘Obsession’ is an improved version of the ever-popular ‘Gulf Stream’. The foliage turns darker shades of red as the temperature drops. It has a compact growth habit and is an ideal container plant, either in full sun or semi-shade.
PATIO GERBERAS
This season I have four plants growing and since November they have never been without a flower. Choose a flower colour combination that works with your garden. They’re best planted outdoors – mine are in pots that get watered once a day over hot periods. Superb plants, the flowers are great for picking too, although the stems are only 15cm long. Enrich with Nature has some lovely options available.
PENSTEMON TAFFY ‘GRAPE TAFFY’
Pretty as a picture, this upright penstemon looks stunning through late summer until the end of autumn. The flower stems are about knee height, which adds depth. After flowering, trim off the old flowers as soon as you can and you may be lucky enough to get a second set of smaller blooms. Plant in full sun. Exceptional plants for raised gardens, the bees just love the flowers.
PHLOX MACULATA ‘NATASCHA’
Perennial standards phlox are stalwarts in the flower garden. They bloom for months and run on the smell of an oily rag. Once established, little or no care is required to get them to re-bloom each summer and autumn. ‘Natascha’ is pretty with its two-toned pink and white flowers.
PHLOX DRUMMONDII POPSTARS
Popstars is a bedding plant mix. This pretty annual was a new release last season from Oderings and I was so impressed with it I planted it again this year. Its lovely star-shaped, two-toned flowers add such a vibrant colour burst that I can’t imagine my summer and autumn garden without them. If you can’t find plants now, add Popstars to your wishlist for spring 2022.
LIMONIUM ‘SALT LAKE’
Everlasting flowers tick the box on many levels. Firstly, they provide welcome colour in the garden when in bloom, then they can be dried to last for years inside. This one is a beauty. ‘Salt Lake’ is a statice that has bright purple blooms with random splashes of white, which provides a lovely splash of contrast. Full sun and good drainage are its essentials. Statice team up well with lavenders and gazanias and other autumn flowers that enjoy hot spots.
MATTHIOLA INCANA QUARTET SERIES
Packed with perfume, this wonderful range of stocks will easily keep producing flowers through autumn and into winter. Plant plenty as the temptation to pick them for the vase will be high! Stocks thrive in rich soil and full sun where they will get a reasonable amount of water. Ideal in pots, tubs and window boxes. Pinch the growing tips out to encourage the plant to produce side branches that will give you more flowers.
ROSA ‘HAYLEY WESTENRA’
Pretty as a picture, ‘Hayley Westenra’ is a stand-out rose. To ensure another flush of flowers before winter, prune the spent flowers as soon as they finish. New blooms reappear in six weeks. To keep roses looking sharp, water deeply twice a week (avoid getting the foliage wet) and apply rose fertiliser to the base of each plant.
EUSTOMA GRANDIFLORUM
A florist’s dream bloom, these delicate-looking flowers last for 10 days or more once picked. Known also as lisianthus or prairie gentian, plants may be available in garden centres now; be quick, as they never last long. They can be temperamental, so be prepared to treat them as a short-term crop. Ideal conditions are a position that has good light, loose soil and a regular amount of water – not too wet or too dry. They like plenty of air movement too, preferring to stand alone than be packed into a small space. I grow mine as an indoor plant. Seeds can be sown in spring.
ASTER ‘PLENTY’
Asters are superb plants for continuous autumn colour, ‘Plenty’ produces armloads of mid-length stems of blue-purple daisy-like flowers. Once established, the clumps are easy to divide in winter to get more plants. Team up with penstemons, gaura and phlox for a lovely show.
GAZANIA ‘CREAMU’
For those who love shades of yellow, this eye-catching gazania from Trent’s Nursery is a ripper. Over the hottest months, it pumps out masses of creamy yellow flowers. The flowers close at night and reopen the following day. The perfect plant for hot dry spots, clay banks, coastal gardens and tubs. Look out for it in garden centres across the country.
HIBISCUS SYRIACUS
Cold-hardy hibiscus are making a comeback. Once viewed as an old-fashioned plant, these tough shrubs add welcome late summer and autumn colour with their pretty, tropical-looking blooms. A pure white one, labelled ‘Iconia White’, caught my eye. Look out for the purple and pink colours as well. Happy in sun or partial shade; deciduous in cold areas.