Ask the head gardener: My garden lacks colour this time of year. What can I plant?
My garden lacks colour at this time of year. Do you have any suggestions on what I can plant so that I can have colour all year round?
– Ruth, Sussex
Dear Ruth,
Although it's been an incredibly challenging year, August is a fantastic time to review your garden. More often than not we're disappointed with the lack of colour in a month when we are in the garden the most, and regularly entertaining friends and family. But in August most plants are at their maximum height, and you can see everything at its fullest, making it the ideal moment to take stock of the whole garden (perhaps with a drink in hand).
Beds and borders can be very tricky to get right with the height and balance that you want. As you look up and down your borders, ask yourself a few questions: Are there any gaps that need filling with new plants or divisions? Are there any plants that are taking over and need reducing in size, or removing completely? Are there elements of repetition through your garden; and if not, can you introduce any? Is there a particular time of year when your garden lacks colour? Could you introduce bulbs or perennials to give you that colour, and if so, where would you put them? Are there any areas where you'd like to create new borders, or are some full of perennial weeds or very tired plants that could be removed?
Make notes and take photos as you wander; these will be invaluable in the autumn and spring when it comes to making these changes, as I guarantee that you will have forgotten your ideas by then. I've found it infuriating in the spring when I've come to lift and divide plants, having not taken notes or photos, only to unearth a load of bulbs or a perennial that I'd forgotten was there.
I've always been an advocate for spring planting because you can see that you have a viable plant, and it has the growing season to establish before its first winter. However, given the weather we've been having, I do start to question all the rules and practices that I'd abided by over many years.
In fact, by planting in the autumn, the winter rainfall will help plants establish when the soil still has a degree of warmth in it. If we had planted several perennials and shrubs in the late spring of this year, it wouldn't have been very long before they were under very stressful conditions. Every garden is different, as is every gardener, but it's certainly worth considering an autumn planting in case we have a similar hot and dry summer next year.
Here are a few suggestions for colour plants to introduce, including bulbs, perennials, shrubs and roses that flower through the seasons:
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