From elegant showstoppers to cottage-garden favourites
Wondering what to plant in your garden in August? There's still plenty of time to refresh your beds and borders in late summer. From colourful coneflowers to vibrant verbena, these plants will keep your garden looking beautiful well into autumn.
August can be an excellent time to plant perennials, as the warm soil helps roots establish quickly. However, new plants need regular watering while they settle in, which may be challenging during periods of drought or where hosepipe restrictions are in place.
Provided you can keep plants well watered and apply a generous layer of mulch to help the soil retain moisture, it’s still possible to introduce late-flowering varieties in these conditions. Be sure to check the individual care requirements of each plant before adding it to your garden.
From elegant Japanese anemones to cottage-garden favourites, here are 10 perennials to plant in August.
With its bright blue flower clusters growing on tall, bare stems, this hardy perennial makes for a great addition to garden borders. 'This is a striking plant very popular in the Mediterranean for its durability and beautiful blue or white flower spikes. Perfect for our hotter, drier summers,' says Antony Henn, garden designer and founder of Garden on a Roll.
Brighten up your plot with this late-blooming perennial. 'Adding potted Asters into your garden in August not only lets you instantly add late-summer colour, with asters available in a wide variety of shades, it also allows you to see the height and habit of the asters so you can find the perfect place for them in your garden beds or borders,' says Lucie Bradley, garden expert from Easy Garden Irrigation.
With their large centre, these cottage garden staples are loved by pollinators. 'Coneflowers are becoming increasingly valuable as our summers become warmer,' says Andrew Jackson, an award-winning garden writer and founder of The New Build Manifesto.
'Their bold daisy-like flowers provide months of colour. They also cope well with periods of drought once mature. Plant in full sun with good drainage and water regularly during the first season.'
'If I could recommend just one perennial to a new gardener, it would be Geranium 'Rozanne',' says Andrew. 'It flowers tirelessly from early summer until the first frosts, weaving through borders with masses of violet blue blooms that attract bees throughout the season. Its exceptionally long flowering period means it provides value far beyond many traditional perennials.'
This hardy perennial does well in sunny spots or light shade and well-draining soil. Once established, it is highly resilient and needs little more than the occasional trim to keep it in check.
Picture a theatrical daisy and you've got helenium, otherwise known as sneezeweed. The low-maintenance pererennial blooms from July through to October and is characterised by its raised centres and fiery, autumnal hues. 'Adding pot-grown heleniums into your garden in August will provide an instant flash of colour with their pollen rich blooms providing late season food for bees and butterflies,' says Lucie.
She recommends the varieties ‘Rubinzwerg’, which is perfect for small spaces, and ‘Chipperfield Orange’, which reaches up to 1.6 metres high.
'With elegant, sculpted blooms in shades of pink from rich magenta through to blush pink or pure white, Japanese Anemones are popular, long-lasting perennials ideal for planting in August when there is sufficient warmth for their roots to quickly establish before the colder months arrive,' says Lucie.
These ornamental blooms are known for spreading vigorously, so make sure you have enough space in your border before planting. Pick a well-draining spot in partial shade.
Rudbeckia, better known as black-eyed Susan, is another colourful bloom that looks great in late-season borders. The perennial comes in different colours and varieties, but Antony's favourite is 'Little Suzie'.
'It's a tough little perennial that has wonderful, bright- yellow flowers in late summer and autumn just when everything is looking tired. Also great for pollinators,' he says.
'For reliable colour and exceptional pollinator appeal, few perennials outperform Salvia ‘Caradonna’,' says Andrew. 'Its deep purple flower spikes and dark stems provide striking contrast in mixed borders while attracting bees almost continuously through summer.'
Plant in a sunny, well-drained spot and water well during the establishment period. Deadhead regularly to ensure flowering well into autumn.
Sedum is another hardy perennial that is worth adding to your garden now if you're looking for a boost of low-maintenance colour. Antony recommends Sedum spectabilis. 'This plant is perfectly adapted for dry conditions,' he says. 'It's tough and resilient, has grey to green fleshy leaves that hold water and the late summer flowers are not only beautiful but a magnet for butterflies and other beneficial insects.'
This tall-growing perennial is an enduring garden favourite in the UK – and it's easy to see why. 'Verbena bonariensis brings height without heaviness,' says Andrew. 'Its slender stems and clusters of lilac flowers appear to float above neighbouring plants, creating movement while providing one of the best nectar sources for butterflies and pollinating insects.'
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