the silvery, soft foliage has fine hairs which help to reduce water loss. It sends up bright magenta, rosepink flowers which bring a pop of colour throughout the summer. Loved by insects, this is a truly easyto-care-for plant that will self-seed.
• Helianthus is the sunflower and, as you might guess, it loves full sun. Choose a perennial variety such as H.“ Lemon Queen” for beautiful yellow flowers from August to October. You’ ll never regret planting this bright, sunny beauty.
catmint, instead. It looks very similar, with silvery green leaves and lavender-coloured flowers that attract pollinators. It’ s drought-tolerant and more forgiving of different types of soil. Most importantly, it will keep on flowering right up until the first frosts. If it gets too floppy, give it a trim and it will bounce right back.
• Asters are a stalwart of this time of year. They have been reclassified under several different genera, including Symphyotrichum, Callistephus, Kalimeris and Eurybia, but traditionally they’ re still known as Asters or Michaelmas daisies. The daisy-like flowers come in mauve, purple, blue, pink and white, bringing a beautiful vibrancy to August and September gardens. They won’ t do well in deep shade, nor in poor soil, but they can cope with full sun, provided you have dug in some good organic compost to help your soil retain moisture and fertility.
ERIGERON LOVE DRY SOIL AND SUNSHINE
• Erigeron karvinskianus( Mexican fleabane) is a low-growing sun-lover that produces a profusion of daisy-like flowers right through until the first frosts. It’ s great on sun-baked ground and in cracks where you’ d imagine nothing could possibly grow.
• Hardy geranium such as G.“ Rozanne” is a must-have. Give it the“ Chelsea Chop” – pruning it by as much as half – after the first flush of growth in late spring and by August it will be as fresh and free flowering as you could wish for. The violet-blue flowers are a delight and the mounded foliage is a great weed suppressant too.
• If you’ re disappointed that lavender flowers for a comparatively short time, consider Nepeta, or
ASTERS START TO FLOWER AROUND AUGUST
• Crocosmia, often known as montbretia, have a reputation for being a thug. But if you purchase named cultivars, you will be delighted with this late-season, clump-forming perennial which grows from corms. The strap-shaped leaves are architecturally pleasing, then from July to September they produce red, orange and yellow funnel-shaped flowers.
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