To quote John Keats in To Autumn, the ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ brings a whole new perspective to our gardens, with the vibrancy of the summer gradually fading and bringing a more earthy colour palette to the borders. As the natural rhythms begin to slow, now is the time for Autumn planting, to spruce up untidy borders, to prepare your garden for winter and to plan ahead for a colourful spring in the new year.
There are however some ‘…later flowers for the bees’ that you can plant to maintain colour in your garden for a few more weeks. Echinacea purpurea is one of my go to plants at this time of year as it comes in a range of colours to suit all borders, and as a hardy perennial it will survive the winter and come back with foliage in the spring and flowers next summer. Its daisy shaped flowers are strong and on long stalks so don’t plant in front of shorter plants in your border.
This year I planted ‘Prairie Splendor Rose’ which has striking pink flowers and has really lifted the back of my sunny west facing borders. The vibrant colour of the Echinacea complements the Verbena Bonariensis that I already had in the border and again, this hardy perennial with dense clusters of purple flowers on long stems is perfect to fill gaps in herbaceous borders. Rudbeckia are similar to Echinacea in appearance and are sometimes know by the same common name of ‘Coneflower’ due to their disc like flower head and round centres. This plant likes moist but not soggy soil and prefers a sunny spot but keep well-watered during prolonged dry periods in the summer as plants may wilt. If you leave the flower heads intact, they proved food for birds in the winter and structural interest in your border – cut down to the ground in spring to encourage new growth.
Cyclamen are another autumn favourite and as they mostly flower in the autumn and winter they are ideal to pop into the ground now or in the early spring. These hardy little perennials prefer some partial shade so are great for underplanting in borders or trees where the leafmould from above will provide nutrients for them. They are also great in containers but make sure you don’t get them too wet in the summer as the plant tubers may rot.
Autumn planting and bulbs
If you are planning ahead for next year, you still have time to plant bulbs to provide a show of colour from early spring through to summer and autumn. In borders, lawns or containers, bulbs really are the plants that just keep giving! To plant in borders, plant most bulbs at 2-3 times their depth and make sure the pointed end or shoot faces upwards – remember to leave at least twice the bulb’s width apart. Replace the soil and gently firm down – you can water after planting if the soil is dry.
Spring-flowering and hardy summer-flowering bulbs can be planted in the autumn, but you should have any tender summer-flowering bulbs planted by late summer while the soil is at its warmest and they have a chance to establish. Plant daffodils, crocus and hyacinths by the end of September and tulips in October or November. If you would like to see lilies, alliums and crocosmia popping up next summer, you should plant these in September and October – just remember where you put them if you are planting in a border and not a container. For container planting, plant at 3 times their depth (some allium bulbs are huge so make sure your pot is deep enough) and water the bulbs once after planting and then regularly when you see active growth. If you are a fan of gladioli, then wait until the spring to plant these as they may not survive a very cold winter.
To ensure slugs and snails have now where to hide in your autumn garden, remove all dead foliage which is on the ground as well as excessive leaf litter from trees and deciduous shrubs. Keep an eye out for squirrels, during Autumn planting, they seem to have a sixth sense when it comes to where your bulbs are planted – you may consider netting over areas where your bulbs are if squirrels are a problem in your area.
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