Late summer can feel a little sad in the garden. The sun might still be shining and the evenings warm, but by August something has shifted. Grasses are parched, the fresh green of June is long gone, salvias are slowing down and the first flush of roses is a distant memory.
But all is not lost – not yet. Late-summer flowering perennials, ornamental grasses and evergreens can breathe new life into pots, bringing fresh color and texture right through fall and, in some cases, until the first frost. Asters are a perfect example. I have seen brilliant pink and purple varieties flowering quite happily into November in cold, wet Wales. Give taller varieties a little support and they can keep the show on the road remarkably late in the year.
