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September 1st: A moments' rest

Its a good idea to place seats around your garden, they are not only welcome for a moment's rest but also act as focal points at the end of path. Our old bench has been with us for 15 years or so now and is still going strong at the end of a gravel path flanked by Heleniums: Double Trouble, Karneol and

September 2nd: Asters for dry shade

People often ask me to recommend flowering plants for dry shade. This is difficult enough but when they add that they want late colour then its altogether tougher. Fortunately there are some Asters that fit the bill like Aster macrophylla Twilight (right) which starts blooming in August and is still looking great in the dry soil shaded by a Purple Hazel.  You will also find it in books listed as Aster x.herveyii

Other good Asters for dry shade include the natural Aster macrophylla species with pale violet flowers and Aster schreberi with white flowers. We hope to add both of these to our range in 2011.

September 3rd: A sea of honey

I couldn't resist this snapping this scene at about 8.25pm today.  Kate Bush sings about the sky being like a Sea of Honey on her Aerial album. I can see just what she means now!

September 4th: Golden giant

I am growing Helenium Goldriese (Golden Giant) for the first year and it just keeps going up and up. Now about 6ft tall I'm hoping that once established it will make 7 or even 8ft tall. 

September 5th: Late bloomers

A visitor to our garden was recently heard to complain that "apart from the tremendous show of Heleniums there isn't much to see". Since we have a National Collection of Heleniums its not surprising that they are stars of the show right now!

But it send me on a mission to note all the other late bloomers in our garden. So over the next few days my camera will be clicking some of them.

Starting off with Persicaria amplexicaulis. This one is quite new and called "Firedance". Whilst it is similar to Atrosanguinea, the flowers are distinctly brighter and more orangey in tone. Like all of its type it spreads by surface rhizomes and blooms from July onwards in autumn. The flowers are loved by bees.  This one is about 2ft 6in - 3ft tall in our dry soil and it will grow in wet to dry conditions and sun or part shade. There are many varieties with flowers in white or shades of pink and crimson. Flowering heights vary from 2ft to 5ft. 

We will be adding "Firedance" to our 2011 range.

September 6th: Late bloomers

Verbena bonariensis is one of my favourite late bloomers with its airy stems and corymbs of neon pink and purple flowers. Its also a great favourite with Small Tortoiseshell butterflies although, for some reason, not with bees. 

It is just about hardy. The top growth will die in a cold winter but the root stock will normally survive and sprout fresh shoots in May or June - so don't dig it up as dead too soon! If you leave the dead flower heads on in the winter seedlings will come up in early summer and also the goldfinches will share the seed with you.

September 7th: Late bloomers

Erodiums (Heronsbills) are second-time-around late bloomers having put on a great early summer show they are starting up again now, 

I don't know the name of this one, it came to me unlabeled.

September 8th: Late bloomers

Kniphofia flowers go so well with the yellowy late summer sun, but choose your variety with care as flowering times can vary between May and December depending on type. This one is Barton Fever. 

Other late blooming types in our garden include: Ice Queen, Wrexham Buttercup, Chi Chi, Little Elf, rooperi, caulescens and linearifolia  

September 9th: Late bloomers

Centaurea are another group of repeat flowers having their second or even third wind now. The montana types like "Violetta" here are all coming back into bloom now. 

They perform best if cut back hard after each flush of flower.

September 10th: Long bloomers!

Not only late, but long, Persicaria amplexicaulis varieties like Rosea here have been gracing our garden since early July and without any deadheading are still looking great now. They prefer a moist soil but do well in our rather dry sunny garden, although during the droughts of May and June we did get some leaf scorch. 

These plants spread by surface rhizomes that become thick and woody and can be cut up into sections in spring using a serrated knife or pruning saw.

September 11th: Better late than never

The Chocolate Cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguinea) is hardy with us but often fails in claggy, wet winter soils. After the long cold winter it seemed to have failed for us too, but lo and beyond eventually it cam through in July and is now in flower.  

We've experienced this with several plants this year: Salvia elegans has only just come back into leaf and almost certainly won't flower this year.

If you want to be assured of flower from your Chocolate Cosmos dig up the tubers when the foliage has been killed by frost. Cut off every scrap of dead leaf and stem and dry the tubers for a week or so. Pack them in old potting compost and keep them frost free in a shed or garage or under the staging in a cold greenhouse. Start watering in late February (or whenever things start to warm up) and bring them into the light.  Plant them out in early May and they should be in flower during June.

September 12th: Late bloomers - Encore! Encore!

Some late bloomers in our garden are repeat performers having given us a great show in May and June like Campanula Crystal here. May sure you take off the spent flower stems after the first flush and don't forget to water and feed the plants even though they are just looking green - its always a temptation to focus on the plants in flower and forget the rest!

September 13th: Late bloomers - Grasses

The late blooming grasses like Penesetum and Miscanthus are coming into their own now.  Plant them where the flower heads catch the sun so they glisten and shine in the light.

September 14th: Late bloomers - a touch of sunshine

Bidens heterophyllus Hannay's Lemon Drop is just into flower with its bold yellow and white flowers on top of 5 - 6ft stems that wave in the breeze and don't need staking adding a touch of sunshine to our late borders.

September 15th: More repeats

No its not a comment on BBC's autumn schedule, just more more repeat bloomers adding to the colour of our early autumn garden. Amongst the Hardy Geraniums the sanguineums like Max Frei here are the most reliable repeat bloomers. Their fresh growth is now studded with bright flowers without any need for special treatment: I haven't even deadheaded the first crop of flower stems.

September 16th: Encore - Centaurea take the stage again

Most Centaurea are repeat bloomers. Exceptions with us are macrocephala and glastifolia, but the rest seem to come naturally back into flower provided the dead flower stems are cut back to the ground. Here is nogmovii adding a delicate touch to autumn.

September 17th: Those summer ni--ights

Just had to snap Dahlia Nuit d'Ete (Summer Night) today. More glamorous than Olivia and more suave looking than John.

September 18th: Knock! Knock! Who's There?

If you can hear a repeated tap, tap, tapping in your trees at the moment its probably a Nuthatch hammering its way into a nut or acorn. First they hammer to wedge the nut into a crevice in the bark, then they chisel it open.

September 19th: More Persicarias

More examples of Persicaria amplexicaulis in our garden - "Alba" and "Jo & Guido's Form". 

September 20th: Late bloomers

Campanula Paul Furze is a true late bloomer usually coming into flower towards the end of August. I just love those hair-fringed bells.

September 21st: Late bloomers

Geranium Salome is a scrambler, growing long trailing stems that drape themselves over neighbouring plants. It is covered with these lovely vein violet blooms at the moment. 

Unlike many Geraniums it can't be readily propagated by division at the rootstock - everything grows from a one point. Propagation is by cuttings taken a nodes on the trailing stems and rooted in a gritty mix.

September 22nd: Should I stay or should I go?

Decisions need to be made this winter about my Dahlias. Last year I left them in the ground and was sorry for it as only Bishop of Llandaff survived. Dark Spirit here has been blooming well for months and I don't want to lose it.  The problem is that I'm often too busy to in late winter / early spring to really care for stored Dahlia tubers properly. Still there's plenty of time to think again and I'll follow the old maxim of "never decide today what can be put off until tomorrow"!

September 23rd: Late booming Kniphofia

By choosing varieties with care you can have Kniphofia blooming in your garden from May to November (and even January if you risk the slightly tender Kniphofia sarmentosa).  Here is Kniphofia baurii in our garden. in the wild they are found in eastern Cape, Natal on moist grassy slopes and stream banks. In my garden they are found on dry poor soil on top of hardcore and rubble!

September 24th: More decisions

Most Salvias are hardy with us but a few aren't. Indigo Spires (foreground) definitely isn't so I'll have to dig it up, pot it and keep it in our cold greenhouse. Whereas with Salvia meyerii (background) I really don't know whether or not it is hardy. So I've taken lots of cuttings and I'll risk the parent plant in the ground this year.

September 25th: Sun Power

The perennial Sunflowers like Lemon Queen here are really putting on a show. 

September 26th: Still looking good

As I give a talk called "Late Bloomers" I though I'd better put my money where my mouth is and prove my garden still has something to show!

September 27th: Late show

And today these Dahlia Nuit D'Ete caught my eye.

September 28th: Late bloomers

Rudbeckia are great value plants and subtormosa is no exception. Sun or shade they're sure to put on a show.

September 29th: Should I stay or should I go?

Should I cut back plants or not in early winter? is a common dilemma for gardeners. With Morina longifolia the decision is easy: no, their seed heads  look too good to touch.

September 30th: More winter interest

With Eryngium eburneum the flowers are very late this year but again the seed heads are too good cut off - leave them until March.