Many of us think of gardening as an activity that’s almost exclusively suited to spring and summer. Indeed, these are the seasons during which the weather tends to be best suited to outdoor activities, and many plants and flowers do best when planted earlier in the year. However, that doesn’t mean that autumn isn’t also a great time for some gardening.
In fact, all you need to do is take a glance at the Marks and Spencer flowers and plants section to see a selection of gorgeous flowers that demonstrate the beauty of autumn. The signature September bouquet of sunflowers and roses consists of flowers that, while not ideally planted in the cooler seasons of the year, beautifully display the colours most often associated with autumn.
But you don’t have to rely on a shop-bought bouquet to enjoy these sorts of plants and flowers in the coming months. There are also plenty of flowers that bloom healthily throughout autumn, so generally speaking, you can plant them in the spring, or purchase potted plants to add to your garden this autumn, weather permitting. So here are 5 of the best autumn flowers for your seasonal garden.
- Dahlias – There are many, many different shapes, sizes and colour of Dahlia so you will always find one to suit any part of your garden. For a typical autumn feel opt for yellow, orange and red hues. Plant the tubers where you want them to flower, after the last frosts have passed, and they should be in flower by September and last through to the first frosts. If you live in the South of the country you should be able to just cut them down, give them a mulch and leave them to reappear next year. However if you live in the North it is unlikely that they will make it through the winter so lift the tubers and keep them in a dry, frost free place over the winter and plant them out again the following spring.
- Sternbergia – For a bright yellow carpet of colour during the autumn months choose Sternbergia. Plant the bulbs where they will get plenty of sun and will not get too wet and they will naturalise quite readily and multiply over the coming years.
- Rudbeckia – One of the most brightly coloured plants you can have in your garden during autumn. There are many varieties which differ in height and the colours available range from pale yellow, through the brighter yellows and oranges to burnt orange. They are very easy to look after and come back year after year.
- Chrysanthemums – These popular flowers can bloom late in the year and come in a number of different varieties worth considering, as noted by Telegraph. Consider the “Cottage Apricot” variety, which comes in a burnt orange just perfect for autumn moods and colours. It is best to treat them as annuals, replacing them every year, or you can take cuttings and grow your own for the following season.
- Cyclamen – These beautiful pink and white flowers are uniquely suited to dry, cold environments, which means they’re perfect for those wintery patches where nothing seems to grow. They’ll thrive through the winter and disappear for the summer.
So there you have it – these are just five autumn flowering plants which will greatly enhance the enjoyment of your garden during the later months of the year, why not visit your local garden centre during September and October to see what other plants are available to extend your flowering season. If you don’t have the space in your garden most of these plants will do well in containers so you could quite easily plant up window boxes, hanging baskets for patio pots with autumn colour and replant after the frosts have passed for spring and summer colour.
Take a look at UK Garden Supplies for everything you’ll need to get started on your autumn garden.