Summer is often thought as the season where the garden is in full swing, bringing a bounty of summer-flowering specimens that brings the landscape to life with colour and blooms.
But as the seasons shifts, autumn brings its own spectacle that easily rivals the heights of summer. A kaleidoscope of rich, fiery and warm tones makes it a favourite amongst many. And by thoughtfully choosing the right selection of plants, you too can make the autumn months some of your most cherished and vibrant in the garden.
A mix of late-blooming perennials, rich ornamental grasses, and colour-changing shrubs and trees will build a multi-dimensional display that glows right until the first frosts, extending the interest in the latter months of the year, creating a warm and inviting outdoor space that still has plenty of life left to enjoy.
Late-Blooming Perennials:
Think of autumn and you probably picture fiery autumn foliage and an abundance of berries, but there is an unexpected number of late-flowering perennials that really hold their own over the autumn months, continuing to delight when traditional summer flowers fade. Look to these unsung heroes of the autumn garden for pops of welcome colour, while crucially supporting pollinators in the lead up to winter.
Salvia ‘Amistad’:
Common name: sage ‘Amistad’
Valued for its long flowering period, ‘Amistad’ brings a deep richness to planting schemes with inky black stems and calyces, adorned with striking purple flowers, adding a dramatic depth amongst the brighter golden tones of other autumnal plants. It’s the perfect addition to pollinator-friendly gardens, suiting patio pots or borders.
Rudbeckia f. ‘Goldsturm’:
Common name: coneflower ‘Goldsturm’
‘Goldstrum’ injects a welcome vibrancy to the autumnal landscape, cherished for its bold, golden yellow daisies with dark central cones, blooming from summer to autumn. Its flowers are attractive to pollinators, while its seedheads continue to be beneficial over the winter months as a valuable food source for birds.
Pair our highlighted picks with other crowned late-flowering perennials, such as Asters, Japanese anemones and Sedums, to maximise the floral output of your autumnal garden designs.
Ornamental Grasses:
Renowned for their ability to create a tapestry of colour, texture and movement, ornamental grasses effortlessly take the garden into winter. They weave seamlessly into a landscape, mixing beautifully with autumn perennials to maintain visual structure that fills late-season gaps. From rich coloured foliage to delicate seedheads that catch the low light, these garden staples provide high return for little effort, with varieties to suit almost every soil type, including challenging dry conditions.
Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’:
Common name: cogon grass ‘Rubra’
Reaches its height of colour intensity during the autumn months, with upright blades of green leaves that deepen into a brilliant red towards the tips, for an injection of jewel-like colour.
Stipa gigantea:
Common name: golden oats
Delights with a golden hue over the summer and autumn months with oat-like panicles that persists until early winter frosts, beautifully catching the sunlight. This ornamental grass brings a tall, delicate and airy habit that combines effortlessly with other grasses and perennials whilst bringing a graceful movement that softly sways in the breeze.
Colour-Changing Trees and Shrubs:
The finale of the autumn garden and one of the most breath-taking moments in the gardening calendar: nothing quite says autumn like the captivating display of colour-changing foliage. As the days shorten, deciduous shrubs and trees put on a spectacular show, that intensifies the warm, autumnal hues in the garden. Think golden yellows, rich oranges, deep purples and vibrant reds. Whether integrated into landscapes in the form of smaller shrubs, hedging or large standalone trees, these magnificent specimens bring an unforgettable display that is not to be missed, forming a wonderful backdrop to other autumnal planting.
Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’:
Common name: smoke tree ‘Royal Purple’
‘Royal Purple’ is a robust deciduous shrub prized for its dramatic foliage, smoky summer flowers and brilliant seasonal colour, with its deep purple leaves becoming redder in autumn. Its strong colour brings a wonderful contrast in borders and mixed planting schemes.
Parrotia persica:
Common name: Persian Ironwood
A favourite for its spectacular mulit-toned autumn foliage, this deciduous tree or large shrub transforms into a fiery kaleidoscope of colour with shades of yellow, orange, red and purple, reaching its peak through October and November. Offering multi-season value, it continues to delight even once its leaves have fallen, with small, maroon-red flowers decorating its bare branches from winter to spring.
Include these in planting schemes with other autumn staples such as acers, prunus and euonymus for a dramatic, statement backdrop.
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