August Garden Colour

Some more ideas for your garden.

This one I use as a filler in for colour at this time of year, as its not hardy in my clay garden. Happy in container or border, and its jewel like flowers are so beautiful.



Then there's the spires of agastachia - this will seed itself around, which is good because it not always hardy. The bees love it, and it has highly aromatic foliage.



Take a look at the shrubby Hibiscus - well worth garden room. Very upright woody shrub with a range of colours and as hardy as old boots.



And the daylias just keep on going. They will flower til the first frosts cut them down, and then the tubers need to be lifted and overwintered in a frost free and dry store. When I first used to left them, I place them in the greenhouse in sawdust - but I have found I have just as much success, just leaving them loose in a tray - planting them into pots in the early spring in my heated greenhouse before putting them in in late may



Anyone else got any august suggestions.

 

Fuscias, fuscias and more fuscias! They are really at their best in August and can be left outside to get the maximum benefit of long warm days and circulating air. Sit potted ones on dishes covered in gravel and it will aid humidity without rotting the roots caused by standing directly in water. Most will be quite happy in full sun or partial shade if turned fairly regularly.

Potentilla also have a wide variety of colours and will keep coming back year on year once established. Very hardy and usefull shrub.

[ 04. October 2005, 09:54 AM: Message edited by: frogesque ]

 

Fran: Oddly I've just bought some hardy hibiscus (blue ones). �£0.50 per pot being flogged off at our local B&Q. Bargain!

Edit: Checked the variety, Hibiscus syriacus 'Blue Bird' (Rose of Sharon or Tree Hollyhock)

[ 05. October 2005, 02:16 AM: Message edited by: frogesque ]

 

lovely hibiscus Fran, I have never grown one but I am going to have go next spring. Do you leave it out and do you protect it from frosts ?
Reminds me of holidays. [5 weeks to go]

 

I couldn't agree with you more about fuchsia - at my previous house there was a fuchsia specialist down the road, and I fell in love - and never recovered. For me and the bees the most rewarding is the one on September Garden colour - it just drips colour - and other than cutting down in late spring is given no other attention. But the range is large for all tastes and they flower their hearts out from August to the first real cold spell usually December.

Hans - be careful to select the hardy shrub varieties, but the flower shape is the same across the range. You may them find now - and twould be well planting them now to get them established before spring. Well worth garden room and no they need no protection in my neck of the woods.

[ 04. October 2005, 08:21 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]