September marks the transition from summer to autumn, but there are still lots of plants that bloom during this time. Here are a few ideas to give colour and interest to your September garden:
What to plant in September
1. Asters are known for their daisy-like flowers and come in a variety of colours. One of the best varieties is Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ this gorgeous Michaelmas daisy has lovely bright lavender-blue flowers around golden hearts. Pollinators love them.
2. Sedums, also known as stonecrop, produce clusters of tiny star-shaped flowers in late August through to the first frosts. They come in various shades of pink, red, and white. ‘Autumn Joy’ or ‘Herbstfreude’ sedum is a particularly reliable and attractive variety.
3. Rudbeckia, commonly known as coneflowers or black-eyed Susans, produce vibrant yellow or orange flowers with dark centers. Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ is a beautiful and neat daisy-like bloom that will add some end of season colour to your flower beds and is a good choice for attracting bees into you garden.
4. Heleniums, also known as sneezeweed, produce daisy-like flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and red. 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.
5. Japanese Anemones are fabulous plants for brightening up the garden in late summer. Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ is easy to grow in sun or shade and has masses of elegant, cup-shaped, white flowers on tall stems.
6. Cyclamens are a wonderful addition to the September garden, producing delicate, upswept flowers in shades of pink, white, or purple. Cyclamen hederifolium with their pretty, marbled, heart-shaped leaves and upright, fragrant pink or white flowers can be planted in shade but are equally happy in sun. Plant them en-masse in a woodland setting with ferns and other shade-tolerant plants or around the base of deciduous trees for an amazing autumnal display of colour.
7. Colchicum, Also known as autumn crocus, or naked ladies produce crocus-like flowers in various shades of purple and pink. They are perfect to naturalise under the shade of a tree.
8. Nerines produce striking, lily-like flowers in shades of pink, red, or white. One of the hardier forms, nerine bowdenii, should survive outside all year round in sheltered gardens, provided the soil is not too heavy and wet. Their ruffled, shell-pink flowers are a delight, and they appear very late in the season adding some much-needed colour. In colder areas, they are best grown in a pot, so they can be overwintered in a cool greenhouse.
