Most gardens peak in June and look a bit sorry for themselves by September. It doesn’t have to be that way. A few well-chosen plants will give you colour right up to the first frosts.
Our favourites
- Asters (Michaelmas daisies): purple, pink and blue daisy flowers that bees absolutely love.
- Japanese anemones: tall pink or white flowers that are happy in part shade. They do spread, so give them room.
- Sedum: flat flower heads that go from pink to rusty red. Great for dry, sunny spots, and the seed heads look good all winter.
- Rudbeckia: bright yellow and orange with dark centres. Perfect for a sunny border.
- Heleniums: warm oranges, reds and coppers that suit the autumn light.
- Salvias: many keep flowering until the frost if you keep deadheading them.
- Dahlias: flower right up until the first frost. Mulch them heavily or lift the tubers for winter.
- Hardy cyclamen: little pink flowers that pop up under trees where not much else grows.
- Nerines: bright pink flowers that love a sunny spot at the base of a wall.
- Heathers: winter-flowering types are great in pots by the front door.
A few tips
Plant now. Autumn is a great time to plant perennials while the soil is still warm. They’ll settle in over winter and come back stronger next year.
Know your soil. A lot of gardens in our area are on heavy clay. Asters, heleniums and rudbeckia cope with it better than most. Dig in some compost when you plant to help with drainage.
Don’t be too tidy. Leave seed heads on sedums and rudbeckias over winter. They look great with a frost on them and give the birds something to eat.
Plant in groups. Three or five of the same plant together looks far better than one of everything dotted about.
Need a hand with your borders?
We can plant up, refresh or tidy your borders ready for autumn and winter. We cover Redhill, Reigate, Coulsdon, Merstham, Earlswood, Horley, Crawley and the surrounding areas. Call us on 07376 974 498 or email info@southerngardenmaintenance.co.uk for a quote.