YOUR GARDEN Perfect 10 for summer Inject some colour into your garden... D

ESIGNING gardens is a job I love – choosing the plants and painting colourful pictures with them. Then after they are planted, I like to drop in to check up on progress and see how the plot is welding together every six months or so.

This year, I have had a lovely experience of minding a garden that I created. It is in a shopping centre in Dundrum, south of Dublin, and it’s the rebuilding of the Harrods British Eccentric Garden displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show last year.

Since May, the blooms and blossoms have been non-stop. But I know we are beginning to come into trickier times in mid to late summer when the first enthusiastic flush of late spring and early summer flowers have faded. So I’ve paid particular attention to what will look good now.

These are the flowers I hope will see this particular joyous plot continue its performance right through to September.

They’re my top 10 for late summer colour and any one of them might be perfect for your plot.

My site is open and sunny with a free draining soil, but one with plenty of humus material which will help retain water around them. So for the bright spots in your plot, keep the summer going with some of these... Credit: www.brooksidenursery.co.uk Credit: www.crocus.co.uk requirements – it likes to be in a bright and sunny position in good, well-enriched soil that doesn’t dry out. Divide in spring to increase. Credit: www.jparkers.co.uk