Best late-flowering perennials

The best of the summer may be over but that doesn't mean your garden need be drab and dreary. There are plenty of plants that extend the season well into autumn, bringing much-needed colour and vibrancy to our borders. This is particularly true if you like hot colours, with plants such as Rudbeckia and Crocosmia springing immediately to mind, but there are plenty of plants to suit every colour palette.

This is a good time of year to take stock of where the gaps are and where more interest could be added. Make a note of which plants are working well together and which need to be replaced. Think about where an injection of colour would work wonders but be mindful that any new additions will need to complement established planting. If you need help planning a scheme with year-round interest, then contact us to arrange a planting design consultation. In the meantime, here are our top picks for late summer colour.

Aster

Michaelmas daisies, or asters, often feature prominently in the late summer border and rightly so. These are a reliable bunch with long-lasting flowers that mix in well with other herbaceous plants. Works well alongside another of our seasonal favourites, Echinacea purpurea, and ornamental grasses. Try Aster x frikartii 'Monch' with its pale violet-blue flowers.

Gaura linheimeri

While most of us tend to think of the lofty perennial favourite, Verbena bonariensis, another great plant that delivers that 'see-through' effect for the late border is Gaura with its starry, pale pink to white flowers that have a graceful appearance. Grows to about one metre high and almost seems to dance in the breeze.

Sedum

A great plant for a late-opening nectar bar for bees, sedum start to come into their own in early September with their flat flowerheads of rosy-salmon and pink. Go for Sedum 'Autumn Joy' or S. spectabile 'Brilliant'.

Liriope muscari

An evergreen that throws up purple flower spikes from September through November. It will grow in shade or dappled sunlight but is most at home in full sun. Also a good architectural plant with its spiky green leaves.

Helenium autumnale

Daisy-like flowerheads that really pack a colourful punch at this time of year. If you like your colours hot then this is the plant for you. Colours range from yellow through orange-red to bronze-red. Our favourite? Helenium 'Moerheim Beauty'.

Echinacea purpurea

This is our plant of the moment and a reliably late summer bloomer. Gorgeous deep pink flowers with a lovely conehead centre. Team up with a late-flowering grass such as Pennisetum alopecuroides for a great 'texture-colour' combo. Also, try the white-flowered form, Echinacea 'White Swan'.

Rudbeckia

Common name is black-eyed Susan which is apt for a plant that has large flowers of rich yellow with a contrasting dark central cone. Also a good plant for a heavy clay soil. Its flowers last well into autumn. We like Rudbeckia hirta 'Autumn Colours' with hues of burnt orange or the equally attractive R. fulgida var.deamii (yellow).