During the height of summer, gardens are bursting with colour, but by late August they can start to look a little tired. Luckily, a few well-chosen plants can bring a fresh burst of late-summer colour and keep your garden looking vibrant as the seasons begin to change.
The easiest way to transform your outdoor space? Shrubs. From pretty pink hydrangeas to vibrant purple buddlejas, fast-growing garden shrubs are an easy way to add a burst of late-summer colour – and they can make an impact in surprisingly little time.
'August can actually be a really good time to add shrubs to the garden, particularly if you want to extend the season beyond the traditional summer peak,' says Andrew Jackson, award-winning garden writer, designer and founder of The New Build Manifesto.
'The key is to choose plants that are already established in pots and to be prepared to water them well while they settle in, as the soil can still be very dry at this point in the year.'
We asked experts for their advice on the best fast-growing shrubs to plant in August for late-summer colour.
1) Buddleja
'Buddleja, or the butterfly bush, is one of the quickest ways to introduce colour at this time of year. It produces long, nectar-rich flower spikes from summer into early autumn and is particularly valuable for pollinators,' says Lewis Machin, assistant horticulture buyer at Hillier Garden Centres.
2) Hydrangea paniculata
'For a longer-lasting display, hydrangea paniculata is hard to beat. Its large, conical flower heads appear from mid to late summer and often change colour as the season progresses, giving you interest well into autumn,' says Lewis. He recommends growing varieties like 'Limelight' and 'Vanille Fraise'.
3) Caryopteris
'Caryopteris is a brilliant shrub for bridging the gap between summer and autumn. It grows quickly, stays relatively compact and produces masses of blue flowers from late summer onwards,' says Andrew. 'Give it a sunny, well-drained position and it should reward you with colour quite quickly.'
4) Hardy fuchsia
'Hardy fuchsias can be surprisingly fast growing and are particularly useful if you want almost instant late-season impact. They can continue flowering well into autumn, sometimes until the first proper frosts, and they work especially well in slightly sheltered gardens. Fuchsia magellanica is a good choice if you prefer a looser, more natural-looking shrub,' says Andrew.
5) Leycesteria formosa
'If speed of growth is important, Himalayan honeysuckle is worth considering. It can grow into a substantial shrub relatively quickly and has hanging clusters of flowers surrounded by rich burgundy-purple bracts from late summer into autumn,' says Andrew.
A note on planting
Before you get planting, there are a few things worth considering, and the first is just how quickly you can expect to see your plants grow.
'One thing I would stress is that fast-growing doesn't necessarily mean instant. A shrub planted in August isn't suddenly going to double in size by October,' says Andrew.
'The advantage of planting now is that you're choosing shrubs at the point when many of them are already providing their best late-season display, while the warm soil gives their roots time to begin establishing before winter,' he says.
After the long hot summer we've had, Lewis also emphasises the importance of a watering schedule. 'The key when planting in August, especially after such a dry summer, is to water the planting area thoroughly before and after planting, and keep them well-watered as they settle in,' he says.
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