Late Summer Colour This Year

We're officially in the late summer season. September is fading into autumn

I say late summer colour this year because it has been an unusual year where the flowering seasons have gone a little awry and not every plant has followed its usual route. I felt some mainstays fizzed out very quickly while others have been outstanding. I shall not even allude to wet, wet weather!

The positives are the ground is perfect for planting now.

Our talk this week will look at where we are now. What is looking gorgeous and what is about to look gorgeous as we drift into autumn. It's an indulgent slow peep through the window into what's looking good now.

So we'll start with this shocking echinacea. Sunmagic Vintage Red. It appears to have multiple coloured flower heads in beautiful blending peachy red to yellow.

Cone flowers are a lovely late summer bloomer. Great for wildlife. The cone as we've all observed makes a great landing pad. The colours developed in the blooms are getting more and more exciting. Take a look at Halo white, purple below. Imagine how well this plants with purple foliage and flowers,

as the petals are tickled with what looks like purple ink. It's so lovely. Standing quite tall at about 50cm it can appear quite stately and rather sophisticated in a border or pot.

Grasses are enjoying their best performance currently. The seed heads are looking beautiful. I would like to say they are twinkling in the late summer sun but it might be a little optimistic though they are fabulous at the moment. This is Molinia cae. Overdam and below on fire we have Pennisetium Fireworks. Pennisetium are known for beautiful seed heads, and Fireworks 

certainly has hot foliage, no flower is required to make it garden worthy.

No flower is required here either with this incredible glauca coloured foliage. A magic colour that blends with any colourway. Foliage is so important and this is particularly good for planting with any colour scheme. It is Euphorbia Silver Edge. Flowers don't work without good foliage and here we have a very very useful clump forming perennial foliage to add to your mix of plants.

These little purple beauties above are in the hypericum miracle series and I think they are bold and interesting. I include them in many planting scheme. They are a really handy shrub to fill that awkward little gap with a bit of interest, almost anywhere, even in shade. Not all garden interest come from flowers and these little berries are a great example. The dainty yellow flowers earlier in the season with striking long eyelash stamens are another reason I am fond of these plants.

This plant sounds like something you should eat rather than put in the garden, Sedum Cherry Ruffles. Do plant it. The deep dark foliage is great and its rose, pink flowers are a really superb contrast.

Lastly it wouldn't be late summer without anemones. They plant seamlessly with the grasses and Asteraceae blooms. Below we have strong white Anemone Pretty Lady Maria. What a lovely name! It's a handy plant that will grow in shade as well as sun. These do not disappoint.

Here we are, a season with plenty of interest and colour. Regardless of unseasonal weather, we are still blessed. Perhaps we are looking further than just a flower. I feel we are appreciating the colour in different foliage, and texture, as grasses bring texture, they are soft and sensual and how can one not enjoy bold bright autumnal berries.