Reignite late-summer borders with Smouldering colours

Choose trans-seasonal flowers and foliage in berry and jewel tones, and they won’t lose their sparkle as the season morphs into autumn, as Louise Curley explains

- Louise Curley

WITH the midsummer peak now passed, light levels are changing and there’s the sense that autumn is approaching. But that doesn’t mean the gardening year is over and that borders should drift into decline; far from it, as there are plenty of plants that are just getting into their stride. Many of them come in rich, jewel-like and berry colours: ruby reds, amethyst, tones of bruised plum, inky purples and clarets.

These sultry hues fit perfectly with the languid feel of late summer; many also come courtesy of good value plants that will set the garden up for its transition into autumn. And as the shorter days and cooler temperatures deepen, the softer light and morning dew make both flowers and foliage in these colours really sparkle.

Pick a perennial

Tender perennials such as salvias, penstemons and dahlias really come into their own at this time of year – the fewer daylight hours but still-warm temperatures replicating the climate of their native habitats, in places like Mexico. And thanks to the diversity of these plant groups, there are plenty of varieties in bold and brilliant colours.

Annuals such as sweet peas, opium poppies and nasturtiums are also available in these shades – ideal for filling gaps in a border. Meanwhile, climbers including clematis and Ipomoea ‘Star of Yelta’ can be grown to cover bare boundaries and plant supports, and shrub Hydrangea ‘Wim’s Red’ has flowers that change from creamy-white to deep burgundy as summer turns to autumn. Incorporate dark foliage like that of Japanese acres to provide the perfect backdrop to bruised tones of red and plum.

Mix and match