Late Flowering Autumn Perennials

September 13, 2012 tejvan

Autumn perennials offer some really deep vivid colours. A final flurry before the end of the season.

Here in Oxford, there are some wonderful Autumn borders.

Autumn border at Christ Church College, War memorial gardens, offers a stunning back drop for this rich autumn border.

Oxford Botanic Garden’s autumn border. (This border effortlessly moves from summer to Autumn)

Great Perennials to Try for summer Colour

Heleniums – Deep Red ruset, daisy like flowers. Easy to stake and grow. These flower from August to October.
Aster / Michaelmas Daisies. Very easy to grow. These may need staking, but many new varieties are medium height and self-supporting. They are fairly low maintenance, though tend to be afflicted by mildew towards the end of the season
Penstemon. Another great perennial, which can flower from June, until the first frosts. Really the best value perennials in my garden.

Autumn Flowering perennials at Thompson & Morgan

Heliotropes and Asters offer a mixture of deep hues.

Free flowing planting allows a riot of colour.

Michaelmas Daisies

Lovely Red Dahlias, really stand out against the darker leaves. They remind us of the hot days of summer

A close up of the dahlias; these really are offering great value. They are an excellent plant for having such a long flowering season. Dahlias can overwinter in mild winters, if you give it a good mulch. However, for safety is better to lift in November and bring inside.