Tag: autumn pernnials

Autumn Borders

by Fen @tinybloomingplaces September 2024

A feathery autumnal touch for the borders; grasses and self seeding perennials

Time to plant

Often the garden starts to tire as September approaches but it is not the time to “give up”. With our milder weather season extending well into September and beyond there are still many moments to be enjoyed from the garden. September is the perfect time not only to move existing plants to a different location, if required, but it is also a great time to add autumn colour to the border, whilst stock is available, extending the season and enjoyment for the months ahead. It is a window of opportunity not to be missed.

Layers of textured foliage and subtle colour make for a beautiful autumn border

Perennial plants that have not fared well can be moved to a different location before they disappear into a winter slumber. This is the best time for them to establish their roots in a new location so they will perform better the following year. Plants offering autumn interest can also be added to extend the garden display late into the year. Autumn is the perfect time to alter, adjust and add to borders, whilst bearing in mind next years performance.

Deep purple hues from foliage with deep pink flowers contrast wonderfully with light green foliage and lime flowers. All set against a feathery orange tinged background

Choosing Plants

Choosing perennials that will come back year upon year will ensure the garden matures and performs annually giving remarkable displays for every season.

Choosing a small selection of plants, considering texture, colour and height will give a desired look and feel to the border. Planting en masse will ensure an eye catching and effective display. Make sure you take on board the orientation of the border before choosing plants

Planting en masse for a naturalistic feel

September is not the end of the gardening season. It is a great time for getting ahead of the game. Planning and planting borders in September and October ensures plants can be acquired that are giving a great display at that time of year and on into late autumn/winter. It also allows consideration for and inclusion (or moving/removal) of existing plants within the border to ensure an aesthetically pleasing planting scheme is achieved. It is by far the best time to plant up a garden to ensure interest and longevity across the seasons.

Summer Days Drifted Away……..

Where did they go to? Now we are well into September and many of the summer blooms have faded it seems that we hardly had any summer days at all – but my photos of a blooming garden earlier this month are telling me something different……………..

Summer Patio with white geraniums, purple agapanthus (african lilly) and lemon tree planter with white million bells planted beneath

The white geraniums are still blooming well into September.  Once it gets a bit colder I will be taking them indside to a sheltered spot otherwise they will die off in a hard frost over winter

It’s September but the marigolds are still blooming like it is mid summer – they have a fantastically long blooming period, feed them and they will keep on going long after others summer blooms have faded.  Their deep orange colour looks fantastic in the late September sunhine. Once the last blooms fade I will be collecting the seed heads to plant in early spring to produce me some more summer blooms for next year.

 

The feel and colours of the garden have however distinctly changed to darker deeper colours

 

 

The deep red chrysanthemum pot produces  early autumn blooms-a-plenty. It will bloom for several weeks on end and well into the autumn, dying back in winter only to sprout forward again starting in the spring

 

 

The beautiful deep orange of the chinese lanterns has appeared following on from it’s deep green stage – this rewarding perennial brings a very seasonal touch to the garden.  They can be invasive and travel underground via rhizomes but they are easy to control by pulling up any unwanted ones.  They give a great display in the border early autumn when most of the summer bloomers have died back. Each year they die back to ground level and sprout forward the following spring.

 

 The red berries have also started to appear on the pyracantha grown from a slip taken from my mums garden. Berries are great to encourage wildlife  into the garden.  Grown against a wall in full berry bloom it is quite a spectacular sight when maturity is reached.

 

 

The yellow pom pom dahlia bobs about gently in the autumn breeze another favourite perennial that dies back each winter and re-emerges the following year to give late summer, early autumn blooms

Geranium and Bacopa hanging basket

Would you believe a display like this could keep on going from late Spring right through to late September with no signs of fading just yet – just feed and water on a regular basis – what a reward for very little effort

 

Now is also a good time to think about getting spring bulbs down be it in pots or straight into the borders especially snowdrops if you want them popping up in late winter.  Check out the category “spring blooms” on the blog under the “about” page for memories of spring sprouters and flowers you might want in your garden next spring.

 

As the summer moves off and autumn falls quicker and faster the planetary pull on the earth will be affecting us all in a physical and psychological sense.  I came across this book about mindfullness and even if you only read the excerpt  you may find it revolutionary.

http://www.beatinganger.com/docs/angermindfulextract.pdf

 

Marigolds basking in late September sunshine