How to Perk Up Your Fading Late Summer Garden
If your plot is starting to look a little lacklustre, follow these tips to refresh the borders
August can be a messy month in the garden. As the growing season ends and plants have gone or are flagging, big gaps suddenly appear in the borders. Here are a few suggestions of varieties that will fill the holes and provide colour for later in the year.
Go a bit tropical
Use bold foliage in the form of plants such as Canna and Ricinus communis, or castor oil plant (pictured). Mix in plants such as dahlias and echinacea to create a show-stopping look. Remember to frequently deadhead the latter two in order to prolong their blooming period.
If you plant tender Cannas, use a very thick mulch to help them overwinter, or you could put them in pots that you can move back inside for the colder months.
Some varieties of dahlia will survive all year round, as long as you cover them with a mulch of straw in the winter. These include the red blooms of Dahlia coccinea ‘Great Dixter’, the delicate Dahlia merckii ‘Alba’ and the pink Dahlia australis.
Find a local garden designer to help with your outdoor space in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Use bold foliage in the form of plants such as Canna and Ricinus communis, or castor oil plant (pictured). Mix in plants such as dahlias and echinacea to create a show-stopping look. Remember to frequently deadhead the latter two in order to prolong their blooming period.
If you plant tender Cannas, use a very thick mulch to help them overwinter, or you could put them in pots that you can move back inside for the colder months.
Some varieties of dahlia will survive all year round, as long as you cover them with a mulch of straw in the winter. These include the red blooms of Dahlia coccinea ‘Great Dixter’, the delicate Dahlia merckii ‘Alba’ and the pink Dahlia australis.
Find a local garden designer to help with your outdoor space in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Inject colour
There are some good, solid performers for the border at this time of year that will help fill any gaps. Among these are Helenium, Rudbeckia, Crocosmia, Monarda, penstemon, asters, phlox and gaura.
Crocosmia has a long flowering season and slender foliage, which adds an architectural element and makes it easy to slip into any gaps. For a nice yellow gold, try ‘Columbus’ and for an orange bicolour, look for ‘Jackanapes’.
The lovely wispy growth of the delicate white Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ or the pink bicolour ‘Rosyjane’ works well slipped into the border, and the plants will continuously flower for many weeks.
There are some good, solid performers for the border at this time of year that will help fill any gaps. Among these are Helenium, Rudbeckia, Crocosmia, Monarda, penstemon, asters, phlox and gaura.
Crocosmia has a long flowering season and slender foliage, which adds an architectural element and makes it easy to slip into any gaps. For a nice yellow gold, try ‘Columbus’ and for an orange bicolour, look for ‘Jackanapes’.
The lovely wispy growth of the delicate white Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ or the pink bicolour ‘Rosyjane’ works well slipped into the border, and the plants will continuously flower for many weeks.
Bloom again
Perennials can often put on ragged growth, which makes them look tired. Deadhead the plants, removing any brown stems and faded leaves, as well as tidying up areas that spell out decay and decline in the borders.
Some perennials, such as hardy geraniums, including Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (pictured), Centaurea, and even delphiniums and lupins will reward you with a second flush of flowers later in the year, as long as you give them a good chop now. However, the blooms will be smaller.
Perennials can often put on ragged growth, which makes them look tired. Deadhead the plants, removing any brown stems and faded leaves, as well as tidying up areas that spell out decay and decline in the borders.
Some perennials, such as hardy geraniums, including Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (pictured), Centaurea, and even delphiniums and lupins will reward you with a second flush of flowers later in the year, as long as you give them a good chop now. However, the blooms will be smaller.
Plug with annuals
Annuals such as Nicotiana are great fillers for the late summer garden. A nice new variety is the blush-white Nicotiana suaveolens, which is both fragrant and graceful, and ideal for punctuating permanent plantings.
For a bright splash of colour, choose the big, daisy-like blooms of cosmos (pictured), which are readily available at the garden centre and will flower until the first frosts. Cosmos do best in full sun, but are also great candidates for pots.
Use shorter varieties, such as Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sonata’ or ‘Antiquity’ for pots, but plant them in large containers, as even the shortest plants reach 45cm tall and as much across. If you like the smell of chocolate, then Cosmos atrosanguineus, or chocolate cosmos is a good choice for pots.
Remember, all plants in pots will need watering frequently, not forgetting the ones you may have placed in the flowerbeds.
Annuals such as Nicotiana are great fillers for the late summer garden. A nice new variety is the blush-white Nicotiana suaveolens, which is both fragrant and graceful, and ideal for punctuating permanent plantings.
For a bright splash of colour, choose the big, daisy-like blooms of cosmos (pictured), which are readily available at the garden centre and will flower until the first frosts. Cosmos do best in full sun, but are also great candidates for pots.
Use shorter varieties, such as Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sonata’ or ‘Antiquity’ for pots, but plant them in large containers, as even the shortest plants reach 45cm tall and as much across. If you like the smell of chocolate, then Cosmos atrosanguineus, or chocolate cosmos is a good choice for pots.
Remember, all plants in pots will need watering frequently, not forgetting the ones you may have placed in the flowerbeds.
Pretty up with pots
Contrast the dormant plants in your flowerbeds with a bright display of pots and containers.
Tall blue or white Agapanthus thrives in containers, as do hydrangeas – group them together with some bright cosmos. You can even drop planted-up pots into the gaps in the borders.
If you have a shady spot, use hostas. Look for the bold, green foliage of ‘Honeybells’ or ‘Royal Standard‘. Hostas have either pale lavender or white flowers. Do be aware, though, that the plants are susceptible to slugs and snails.
More: 25 Creative Ideas for Container Gardens
Contrast the dormant plants in your flowerbeds with a bright display of pots and containers.
Tall blue or white Agapanthus thrives in containers, as do hydrangeas – group them together with some bright cosmos. You can even drop planted-up pots into the gaps in the borders.
If you have a shady spot, use hostas. Look for the bold, green foliage of ‘Honeybells’ or ‘Royal Standard‘. Hostas have either pale lavender or white flowers. Do be aware, though, that the plants are susceptible to slugs and snails.
More: 25 Creative Ideas for Container Gardens
Add texture
Plant grasses in bold groups in the border to create striking drifts. Ornamental grasses provide movement and structure and come in a variety of colours, from green to gold and even blue. Some can be variegated, and all grasses help to extend the season in the garden well into autumn.
Some varieties of grass perform well in large pots, positioned where their individual shape and arching form can be appreciated fully and you can run your fingers through the feathery foliage.
Taller grasses, such as Stipa gigantea, are best planted as focal points or at the end of a path to add movement and architectural interest. Their frothy blooms look magical in the sunlight as they catch the eye.
Plant grasses in bold groups in the border to create striking drifts. Ornamental grasses provide movement and structure and come in a variety of colours, from green to gold and even blue. Some can be variegated, and all grasses help to extend the season in the garden well into autumn.
Some varieties of grass perform well in large pots, positioned where their individual shape and arching form can be appreciated fully and you can run your fingers through the feathery foliage.
Taller grasses, such as Stipa gigantea, are best planted as focal points or at the end of a path to add movement and architectural interest. Their frothy blooms look magical in the sunlight as they catch the eye.
Refresh ponds and water
Water features will need topping up in August if there are prolonged periods of dry weather, as the water can evaporate at a rapid rate.
If you have fish but no running water or fountain, oxygen levels may also need to be increased (try an air pump or even just spray it with a hose).
Plants surrounding the pond should be cleaned up to prevent dead leaves from falling in and rotting, which will increase nutrient content and encourage the growth of algae. Even oxygenating plants in the water may need to be thinned if they’ve become overgrown, as they won’t help with the water quality.
Tell us…
How is your garden looking right now? Share your photos and ideas for perking up tired planting in the Comments.
Water features will need topping up in August if there are prolonged periods of dry weather, as the water can evaporate at a rapid rate.
If you have fish but no running water or fountain, oxygen levels may also need to be increased (try an air pump or even just spray it with a hose).
Plants surrounding the pond should be cleaned up to prevent dead leaves from falling in and rotting, which will increase nutrient content and encourage the growth of algae. Even oxygenating plants in the water may need to be thinned if they’ve become overgrown, as they won’t help with the water quality.
Tell us…
How is your garden looking right now? Share your photos and ideas for perking up tired planting in the Comments.
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Some plants come into their own at this time of year, and can easily be planted alone or woven into gaps in the borders.
Sedum Hylotelephium telephium ‘Purple Emperor’ (pictured) is a wonderful choice for injecting colour. The dusky, dark stems and leaves are topped with deep-pink, star-shaped flowers on branching stems, giving weeks of pleasure for us and our insect friends, the bees, butterflies and hoverflies.
Japanese anemones, which actually originated in China, flower from August to late October. ‘Hadspen Abundance’ is a favourite, as it has a shimmering appearance in the border, with pale petals set against dark foliage. ‘Honorine Jobert’ has lovely white petals with orange centres. Give anemones space and decide where you want to plant them, though, as they will happily take over.