Flowers for the August Garden
What flowers can be grown in August?
August is often seen as the golden month of summer—a time when gardens are basking in warm light, buzzing with bees, and bursting with colour. While some early-summer blooms begin to fade, there’s no shortage of floral stars to keep your garden vibrant and alive.There are many flowers to choose from if you’re looking for flowers for the August garden in Gloucestershire from the colourful world of plants! Here are a few easy to grow favourites to choose from:
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’
Is a vigorous, deciduous shrub that does well in a shady spot. The large white conical heads flush pink with age and make a magnificent display. The flower heads can be used for drying and I think they look good all winter so don’t be in a hurry to prune.
Verbena Bonariensis
If you have a sunny, fairly sheltered garden this is a perfect plant because goes well with all other plants and styles of garden from cottage to super contemporary. It’s so easy to grow, and even after a hard winter, when it dies right back, I find it will seed itself around generously.
Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan)
With its daisy-like golden petals and dark central cone, Rudbeckia is one of the standout flowers for the August garden. These hardy perennials and annuals thrive in full sun and are perfect for adding warmth to borders and cottage-style gardens. My favourite of them all is Rudbeckia ‘Goldstrum,’ which as the name implies is a deep golden colour, perfect for late colour.
Echinacea (Coneflower)
Similar to Rudbeckia and liking similar conditions, these striking, long-lasting perennials with raised, cone-shaped centres and drooping petals are not only attractive but also a favourite of bees and butterflies. They come in purples, pinks, and increasingly, hybrid yellows and whites. Used medicinally by Native American tribes for centuries, echinacea is said to boost the immune system and reduce symptoms of viral infections. A native American plant, Echinacea Purpurea’s large daisy flowers are useful in the August garden, when there tends to be a bit of a lull, and stands up into the autumn when it contrasts well with wispy grasses in a prairie- style garden. Although all parts of the coneflower are edible, it’s the leaves and seed heads that can be harvested for a herbal tea by drying out in an airing cupboard for a week. Pictured above in a wildflower meadow, it works well with Russian Sage Salvia yangii (formerly Perovskia atriplicifolia.)
Helenium (Sneezeweed)
Not as unfortunate as its name suggests! Helenium provides fiery reds, oranges, and yellows that shine in late summer. These upright perennials are ideal for the back of borders. . RHS award-winning Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ is highly prized for its long blooming season and its unique and outstanding colour With its deep, rich, dark orange-red petals surrounding a prominent chocolate brown centre disk rimmed with gold and covered with golden pollen which is sure to attract butterflies.
Phlox paniculata
Phlox offers clouds of fragrant, long-lasting flowers in whites, pinks, purples, and reds. Their dense flower heads and lovely scent make them perfect for both beds and vases. Phlox paniculata is a garden classic, considered by many people to be the backbone of a summer border. The variety ‘David’ has particularly striking white flowers that last through to mid-autumn. It has a heady scent that will attract butterflies and bees and is an excellent plant for cutting. Partner with penstemons, roses and hardy geraniums for a perfect summer combination.
Dahlias
From dinner-plate blooms to pompom forms, dahlias are one of the most eye-catching flowers for the August garden. They bloom continuously until the first frost—so long as you keep deadheading. This is my favourite of all dahlias, ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ which is so attractive in a container. Here it contrasts well with the yellow lupins and purple salvias, perfect combinations. One of the best places to see dahlias in bloom in Gloucestershire is at the Miserden Gardens – well worth a visit!
Japanese Anemone
These elegant perennials begin flowering in August and often continue into autumn. They thrive in part shade and are excellent for underplanting trees or filling shadier spots. This pure white one is Anemone × hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert,’ a particularly charming variety. It can form quite big clumps after time but is easily controlled by lifting and dividing in the autumn. There is a pink variety called Anemone hupehensis var. japonica, which I also love. It makes a good combination plant with verbena bonariensis (see above.)
If you’d like some advice on plants for your garden and live in the Gloucestershire area, we’d be delighted to visit your garden and discuss the possibilities. Contact us for more information.