Late-season loves

Rudbeckia hits its stride in July/August, and dazzles all the way to October, with large, daisy-type flowers in rich yellows, oranges and rusty reds.

Yellow-petalled ‘Goldsturm’ is one of the boldest and doesn’t need staking. Shade-loving anemones flower reliably

year after year. One of the most generous is ‘September Charm’, its soft pink blooms set off by semi-evergreen leaves. Shrub-wise, evergreen Hebe stenophylla is a great all-rounder, happy in any soil or aspect, and with fragrant white flowers that arrive in July to August. Growing to 1m, it’s easily clipped into a pleasing mound or grown as a hedge.