Does your garden need a boost of colour in the autumn when your spring and summer blooms have started to fade? There are some fantastic autumn flowering perennials that will burst into colour in the summer and flower right through to the end of October.
Aster Nova-Belgii
There are countless varieties of this popular and reliable, autumn flowering perennial with flower colours throughout the spectrum. They range from pure white through blue and purple to deep red and everything in-between to suit any taste.
Grow in a sunny position in well drained and fertile soils. Flowers from mid-summer to mid-autumn.
Anemone x hybrida
Once again, a huge range of colours to choose from but most varieties are in pink and white. An easy to grow autumn flowering perennial which will grow well in any soil that is not water-logged. Vigorous growth upto 1.2-1.5m, the best position is partial shade but will grow well in full sun or heavy shade.
Echinacea purpurea
Striking, bold daisies appear mid-late summer and are carried through to late October.
Many Echinacea species have a scent of honey so attract bees and butterflies in the to the garden.
Echinaceas are a very dependable autumn flowering perennial with dramatic flowers and a very upright habit. Under-plant with geraniums for a beautiful year-round dispaly.
Helenium autumnale
Commonly known as Sneezeweed, these robust daisies deliver a long lasting display of colour every year. This autumn flowering perennial is equally at home in a herbaceous border or any informal scheme.
There are many varieties with a diverse range of flower colours. They range from bronze-orange to copper and red tones.
Helenium autumnale is a species that benefits from the famous Chelsea chop in the third week of May. This keeps the plants strong and robust, also stopping the problem of long bare stems.
Helenium will grow to it’s full potential in full sun and fertile, well drained soil.
Rudibeckia fulgida
Two of the best varieties of are ‘Deamii’ and ‘Goldstrum. Both carry big, yellow showy daisies which glow in the sunshine.
These varieties have a very long flowering period, typically from August to late October. They particularly good in prairie planting schemes as they mix well with grasses and other perennials such as Achillea and Kniphofia.
‘Deamii’ grows to 60cm and ‘Goldstrum’ grows to 90cm.
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
A very undemanding, autumn flowering perennial. Sedum is clump forming with erect stems bearing grey-green succulent leaves.
The flowers are very broad, flat topped and deep pink. The long flowering period begins in mid-August and continues well into autumn.
This variety produces copious amounts of nectar and is very attractive to bees and butterflies, grows to 40-50cm.