Late colour in your garden
Posted on 18th August 2021 at 11:48
There is still plenty of colour in the garden it just needs a bit of TLC to extend the season into autumn. Deadheading is key to keeping the plants in your pots and borders flowering and producing new shoots of glorious colour. A stroll round the garden with some secateurs or even scissors tidying away spent blooms will bring you in touch with your garden and ensure your plants provide colour for as long as possible. Summer bedding in pots and baskets still need daily watering and will benefit from a twice weekly feed, a liquid feed added to your watering can is an easy and effective way to do this. Feeding the flowering perennials in your borders will help to keep them blooming and maintain good health. A feeding regime throughout the growing season really does make a difference. Even if it isn't something you have done up to now, try it; your plants will repay your efforts and next year you can start the feeding early. There is no doubt that feeding improves general plant health, pest and disease resistance, flower production and overall beauty. Feeding can transform a 'nice garden' into a 'wow garden'.
The eight photographs below were taken during September and October. There is still plenty of flower power left.
Rudbeckia
Dahlia
Eschscholzia
Osteospermum
Aster
Cobaea
Rose
Below are some suggestions for your late summer borders. They are all common plants that are easy to grow and add real interest to the garden in late summer.
Hemerocalis is know as Day Lily for the obvious reason that the flowers last for only one day. They do flower generously with exotic looking blooms throughout the summer.
Liatris spicata has grassy foliage with showy flowers into September. The flower spikes make an excellent, long lasting cut flower and provide a vertical interest in the border.
Helenium have vibrant flowers into October adding a real splash of colour to your borders.
Echinacea provides a stunning display in borders or pots into September. The flowers are long lasting and have a prominent cone shaped centre.
Anemone hupehensis is commonly known as Japanese anemone and produces tall elegant flowers into October.
Cosmos has ferny foliage and an abundance of flowers right through to the first frost. Many colours are available and this half hardy annual provides a real splash of colour in borders and pots, it is also ideal for cutting.
Rudbeckia are also know as Coneflower and provide a beautiful display into October. Available in shades of yellow, orange, bronze and mahogany.
Verbena bonariensis is a great example of a transparent plant and adds a touch of elegance to midsummer borders right through until autumn.
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