If your garden is running out of steam as summer reaches its climax, take inspiration from Sue Kent’s pick of late-show plants to give your plot a boost
I’m a three-season gardener, which means I only garden from March to November – it’s not possible for me to garden in winter as once I have a coat on I can’t really use my hands. So, eking out the garden interest for as long as possible is important, particularly from late summer into autumn, making the most of the final weeks I can be outside. I sow annuals in spring to boost my floral display for as long as possible, but it’s my pick of perennials that really holds the display for the final months of the gardening year.
Staking, lifting and storing plants over winter is a challenge, so to make things easier I plant mainly strong-stemmed hardy perennials to suit my abilities, as they can be maintained with just a pair of small secateurs.
Sue’s pick of late-show plants
These 10 performers will all put on a late-summer display – many well into autumn. Buy them in flower now for an instant boost or plant in autumn or spring for results next summer.
1 Hydrangea macrophylla
I can safely say that with at least 25 hydrangeas in my garden these are one of my favourite late-summer plants. Tolerant of sun and shade, the flowers start to take on a subtle, softer hue as the season changes. H. macrophylla mophead varieties make striking indoor displays.
Height x Spread 1-2m x 1.5-2.5m
2 Rosa ‘Mary Delaney’
I have to get close to my plants and thorny roses can hurt, so I was delighted when I discovered ‘Mary Delaney’, a virtually thornless rose by David Austin Roses. Pale pink and perfumed, it is a repeat-flowering climber that blooms well into autumn if regularly deadheaded.
H x S 3.75m x 1.2m
3 Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’
The flat butterfly-magnet flowers are a treat, needing little attention and thriving in my coastal garden in free-draining soil in full sun. The flower colour spectrum changes over time, giving interest from summer to winter, toning with the changing heads of my hydrangeas.
H x S 60cm x 60cm
4 Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’
I love the slightly subdued yellow tone of this perennial sunflower. It can get tall so, depending on where it is, it may benefit from a Chelsea chop in May to check its growth. Loves to be planted in free-draining soil in full sun, but may need occasional watering.
H x S 2m x 45cm
5 Scabious
These delicate
