For a positive gardener, stretching the flowering period as long as possible is an easy thing to do to create a lookable boundary almost entirely all year round. However, careful planning, editing and maintenance is required. And in the fall, the balance is undoubtedly the finest calibrated. As summer ends, you will be vibrant until the first frost becomes fascinatingly beautiful, making the most of the soft, sloping light of autumn. Follow these eight seasonal pointers and let them sing the boundaries as long as possible.
1. Keep the dead head.
Top: A severe reduction in early flowering salbias in July after the first flowering will return with a fall flash. However, by continuing to stall perennials up to a pair of leaves, the flower spikes continue to grow until the first frost. Photo by Claire Takacs.
2. It tilts towards the color of the gem.
Above: Seasonal heavy batters, including Dahlias and Red Hot Pokers, often seem too flashy for those who prefer more calm schemes. However, when you choose one or two shades to create a tonal effect, these flowers become more elegant characters. Here, Niphofia “Poco Red” plays the star in the tone scene of Chocolate Cosmos, airy panicum “Ray Brown” and Echinacea at the 2021 Chelsea Flower Show. Photo by Britt Willoughby Dyer.
3. It grows to an aster.
Above: Michaelmas daisies bring a strong coloured, lush mound to the boundary, just as other perennials begin to lose some kind of vitality. From all shades of deep purple to pink, their range of shades looks fantastic, with grass planted together with the grass. As the name suggests, the “purple dome” forms a neat mound about 5 ocm with dark purple flowers before the border. Not too small at 1.2m, the popular “Small Carlow” has an upright stem topped with the cleanest lilac daisies, while the “Violetta” has intense magenta flowers and produces upright stems at 1.5m. These late flowering perennials provide a source of precious nectar up to autumn months. Photo by Britt Willoughy Dyer.
4. Maximize the structure.
Top: Add interesting structural plants that can be of interest when fewer plants flower. Here, Major Merianthus stands on the central stage towards the warm walls of Le Jardin Ploume in Normandy, France. With its stunning teething green leaves, this building plant can be a stunning addition to the border, but requires a protected area in free drainage soil. Photo by Claire Takacs.
