time of year as a beginning – of toasty fires, autumn spiced cookies and blazing coloured leaves. But it’s very hard letting go of summer for another whole year, so to ease the transition into autumn proper, the clever gardener will have a few tricks up his or her sleeve to keep things looking cheerful outside until it’s time to close the curtains and retreat inside.
Leaves in early September are drying out and rustling loudly whenever it’s windy, without any of the glorious golden or crimson tints that we can expect in a few weeks’ time, so to keep colour going in the garden until then, flowering perennials are still where it’s at. There are some hardy candidates that can be relied on to flower when everyone else is packing up to go home, so including some of these in a planting scheme keeps things bright and cheerful during that transitional period when greens are getting duller and more tired looking.
I’m always careful to impress upon clients the need to stick to the cultivars I have selected for their planting plans, and if substituting plants for those I’ve chosen, to be careful about what they are putting in instead. For instance, hardy geraniums like ‘Johnson’s Blue’ will give a lovely splash of colour in early summer, but it only lasts for three weeks, but Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (which looks almost identical to the untrained eye ) will still be going strong right on into October, making it much better value in terms of performance. This is why you’ll find it in so many of my planting plans.
Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’ – a group three clematis - is still flowering in deep purple just now, while her sisters in the early summer groups are resting until next year. Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, which has been providing green presence all summer, is turning pink and getting ready to flower, picking up the baton from Japanese anemones – ‘Honorine Jobert’ in white and ‘September Charm’ in pink. Allowing space in your planting scheme for these later flowering plants keeps the garden looking alive and vibrant in that lovely golden September sunshine – which I’m really hoping is coming our way soon!
Anne Byrne Garden Design provides easy to follow Garden Plans that you can implement right away or in stages. Anne’s design flair and passion for plants brings a touch of magic to gardens of all sizes.
Anne Byrne Garden Design – Creative Ideas – Practical Solutions – Stunning Gardens.
T: 086 683 8098 E: [email protected] www.annebyrnegardendesign.com
