The late summer garden, on the other hand, has a unique atmosphere, quite distinct from the sensory overload of early summer and the darker undertones of autumn. Of course, it is hard to be exact with flowering times; what flowers when will depend on its location, orientation, microclimate and the vagaries of the weather in any given year.
Certainly, with our increasingly unpredictable climate, the definition of what constitutes late summer has become nebulous. I think of it as a garden renaissance, which begins to build in late July, crescendoes in August and September and fades gradually thereafter, melding imperceptibly with autumn and the onset of the first frosts.
Marina Christopher, a renowned plantswoman and proprietor of Phoenix Perennial Plants in Hampshire, includes plants that flower from July until early November in her new book Late Summer Flowers. “In recent years, we haven’t had those killing frosts until November, and some of my clients in London and the south of England tell me they can pick roses in December,” she says.
Having done so myself, I can bear witness to this, yet a repeating rose is not my idea of a typical late-summer flowerer. What I look forward to at this time of year are the plants that naturally peak as summer wanes. And there are plenty of them — not only perennials, but shrubs and bulbs, too.
Thankfully, nature produces a glorious swan song before the dying down of the year. Looking good over the weeks ahead are a host of flowers and foliage — many grasses colour up wonderfully towards the end of summer, and mature leaves come into their own even before they take on their autumnal hues — as well as increasingly burgeoning fruits, berries, hips and seedpods.
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Perhaps the chief joy of a late-summer garden is its resplendence: a rich palette of burnt umber, terracotta, tangerine and gold, with flashes of royal purple, crimson and magenta, all heightened with white. Christopher is inspired by colour, but prefers to keep things light. “I don’t like to see the russets until quite late in the season.”
She is particularly drawn to yellow, a rather neglected flower colour. “One day the tide will turn and people will start using yellow again — things like rudbeckia, coreopsis and bidens. It’s a happy colour, and I also like seeing a little sparkle of white.”
As in other seasons, the shape and scale of late-summer flowers is important. Christopher prefers plants with small, daisy-like flowers to create spots of colour. “Bidens aurea is tall and graceful, not a little blob on the floor. Its yellow flowers work really well with sky-blue Salvia uliginosa or waving around in front of a tall static purple eupatorium, which can be a bit lumpen.”
Christopher collected the burnet, Sanguisorba ‘Korean Snow’, in Korea in 1993. “It flowers in September and has a feeling of movement, elegance and grace. I tend to go for small-flowered things, closer to the species. For example, I didn’t put cannas in the book because, although they fit the bill in terms of when they flower, they’re not really my thing.”
The late summer garden is also a magnet for wildlife, including bees and hoverflies. “One of the nicest things is the harvest, a season of plenty,” says Christopher. “I get lots of late-summer butterflies and a charm of goldfinches clamouring and gossiping on the teasels Cephalaria dipsacoides and tall centaureas. They are very greedy and take a lot of the seed. I shake out what I need and leave the rest for the birds because we always take far more than we need.”
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Ebullient and even dazzling, a well- executed late summer planting scheme exudes warmth and the rounded fecundity of a settled border. If you have room, one part of the garden can be dedicated to plants that peak at this time of year, resulting in a magnificent display.
For most of us, dotting a few late developers among the early bloomers is more realistic. It works remarkably well, although the effect is diluted as the proportion of leaf to flower rises on the side of the foliage. The important thing is not to give up on your garden as soon as time pitches us over the cusp of midsummer and propels us at hurtling speed towards autumn. There’s plenty of life in the old girl yet.
Recommended plants
Agastache ‘Painted Lady’: highly recommended by Christopher, this form, with pinky-red vertical spikes of flowers, is particularly good. It flowers from the end of May right through to the frosts and is attractive to bees and hoverflies. Needs well-drained soil to do well.
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Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’: Japanese anemones are shade-tolerant perennials, making them doubly valuable for those of us with limited areas of full sun. They come in various double forms, often in pale mauvish-pink tones, but I think none compare to the pure simplicity of this white single-flowered form. Grow masses of them together for maximum impact.
Canna ‘Striata’: if cannas are your thing and you like them to stand out, this eye-catching variety is bound to appeal. Producing 4ft 6in tall spikes of glowing orange flowers above stripy green and yellow leaves, it’s bold, brash and perfect for an exotic planting scheme.
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Clematis ‘Bill MacKenzie’: smothered in small bright-yellow bell-shaped flowers, this vigorous clematis is a sight to behold in the late summer garden. The dangling habit of the flowers is enchanting, as are the fluffy silvery seed heads that follow, but it needs plenty of elbow room, so is not ideal for smaller gardens.
Crocosmia ‘Emily McKenzie’: the slender, arching stems and sword-like foliage of these South African natives provide strong architectural structure in the border. This cultivar bears vivid orange flowers, with dark, tawny markings in the throat of each bloom.
Echinacea ‘Art’s Pride’: another of Christopher’s favourites. “I love some of the new echinaceas. E ‘Art’s Pride’ is a superb plant with reflexed reddish- orange petals. It’s a real colour break, is very graceful and marvellous for bees.”
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Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’: probably the best known of the many helenium varieties. Copper-red daisy flowers, flecked with burnt orange and with domed chocolate-brown centres, rise at least 3ft above the ground. An open, sunny spot with good soil and regular deadheading will bring perfect results.
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Royal Velvet’: lavender is one of the highlights of the early summer garden, but with the introduction of this new cultivar from Downderry Nursery, we can enjoy it in late summer, too. I confess I’ve yet to try it for myself, but I’m assured the flowers are dark purple, extremely fragrant and certain to open after other angustifolias have gone over.
Sanguisorba officinalis: with a long flowering period, continuing into autumn, this is an invaluable perennial. I particularly like the way the dark red toggle-shaped flowers sit atop incredibly narrow stems, giving it a lightness and transparency among neighbouring plants. Gorgeous when combined with grasses.
Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’: the individual flowers may be tiny, but they are produced from rosy pink buds in such profusion that they almost obscure the attractive rich purple foliage. Low growing and clump forming — which makes it perfect for the front of a border — at its peak, the effect is spectacular.
Further events
The RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey, is holding an Autumn Flowers Open Day on September 19. Entry is free once inside the garden; visit www.rhs.org.uk
Further reading
Late Summer Flowers by Marina Christopher (Frances Lincoln £25) is available at The Sunday Times BooksFirst price of £22.50, with free delivery, on 0870 165 8585
Where to buy
Downderry Nursery, 01732 810 081, www.downderry-nursery.co.uk; Phoenix Perennial Plants, 01420 560 695