Create a red-hot border
Seek out these sizzlers for some spicy late-summer borders
August means long days relaxing in the garden sun, when plant displays in hot borders are at their best.
And there’s nothing that says the colour of summer more than fiery red – it’s exciting, vibrant and hot!
You can, of course, choose from all the common bedding plants such as petunias, pelargoniums and antirrhinums, right through to exciting, more unusual plants such as salvias, towering lobelias, dahlias and crocosmias.
As for best bedfellows, purple and yellow foliage is the perfect canvas against which you can daub vibrant drops of colour, and you can be sure they’ll all look terrific for weeks to come.
SUPER SCARLET FLOWERS S Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’
Vibrant flowers the colour of tomato ketchup held high above bright green, arching leaves have made this hardy perennial a real favourite. It’s vigorous too, and will thrive in most soils, though it prefers full sun and a moist area. The upright foliage is attractive before the flowers open in July and August and the seed pods are pretty, too. Divide large clumps in spring. H: 90cm -1.2m (3-4ft). From www.crocus.co.uk
Rose ‘Moment in Time’
This lightly scented, semi-double, cluster-flowered rose was Rose of the Year in 2012. Bred by Kordes in Germany, known for introducing roses with resistance to disease, this is a trouble-free plant that will bring a bold splash of colour to your border all summer. H: 90cm (3ft). Similar and just as pretty is ‘WB Yeats’, a rose I’ve added to my own garden for its vibrant, poppy-like red flowers. From www.jparkers.co.uk
Kniphofia ‘Papaya Popsicle’
Red hot pokers have been exciting our gardens with firework-like shots of hot colour for decades, but the plants are sometimes rather stiff and ugly. This modern hybrid is compact, with grassy leaves, so elegant enough for any garden, and the tangerine blooms are produced all summer. Suitable for the front of the border and for pots. H: 30cm (1ft).
From www.coblands.co.uk
Foxglove ‘Illumination Ruby Slippers’
Since their introduction, these new hybrid foxgloves (digitalis) have proved hugely popular. Although not as hardy as first thought, they make up for any winter losses with a non-stop summer display of bold blooms. The warm weather in early summer suited this beauty perfectly, enhancing the raspberry and apricot colours. H: 90cm (3ft).
From www.thompson-morgan.com
Dahlia ‘Bishop of LLandaff’
This popular plant has been around since 1928 but is largely responsible for the current craze for dahlias. It’s easier to mix into borders than larger-flowered kinds, which often have an ungainly habit. The ferny, beetroot purple leaves are the perfect setting for the bright vermilion blooms and it has spawned a legion of contemporaries, though none are better than the original. H: 1.2m (4ft).
From www.burncoose.co.uk
Tithonia rotundifolia
Moving the colour range from pure red to rich tangerine, the exotic tithonia from Mexico brings a warm glow wherever it blooms. Plants are rather rangy with coarse foliage so is best mixed with other plants among which pops up its brilliant flowers, which are like landing pads for butterflies. It prefers a warm spot and is easily raised from seed. H: 90cm (3ft).
From www.thompson-morgan.com
Ipomoea quamoclit
Scarlet climbers aren’t common but this annual, commonly called the cypress vine, is special for many reasons. The twining stems are clothed in attractive ferny, finely divided leaves but the plant really shines when the small, starry, bright red flowers open from July to September. Sow seeds in warmth in spring and grow in a sheltered spot outside, ideally in a patio pot. H: 2m (6½ft).
From www.norfolkcottagegarden.co.uk
Eschscholzia californica ‘Red Chief’
Californian poppies are traditionally orange, and although mixtures produce a wonderful display in many shades, red is rather rare. ‘Red Chief’ is a unique shade, made all the brighter by the beautiful, ferny grey leaves. Flowers are single and not as ruffled as others but the colour competes with our own field poppies for a bold clump. H: 25cm (10in).
From www.chilternseeds.co.uk
Clematis ‘Rebecca’
Red clematis aren’t easy to find, so this new variety, with glorious, satin-textured blooms, should be sought out so you can add something really special to your garden. Ideal for patio pots, trellis or obelisks, it has glorious starry flowers of rich pillar box red, much brighter than most other red clematis. H: 2m (6½ft).
From www.taylorsclematis.co.uk
Salvia ‘Embers’ Wish’
Salvias are synonymous with scarlet blooms but although the bedding salvia is no longer a garden staple, we’ve a wide selection of new salvias to plant. One of the newest and best is this bushy plant that flowers all summer. The rather brittle stems need support in windy gardens but every stem is topped with vibrant, scarlet flowers. H: 90cm (3ft).
From www.hayloft-plants.co.uk