Follow dull summer with bright winter

Having endured the dullest August since records began, we can now hope for an Indian summer, and plan for a gorgeous end to the season with some really grand and glamorous.

Herbaceous plants mature during the summer, and so the ones that flower at the end really should be best, as they have that much longer to establish, and with all the wetness they have made excellent growth this year.

The anemones have been out for some time, some of them are really worth having.

Mrs Gilmour variety has double flowers in a pretty pink shade, which will come until the frosts cut it back.

Anemones will do well in semi-shade, therefore brightening up a corner where the sun-lovers will sulk.

Heleniums make a lovely show, usually in shades of orange, yellow or ginger. They mix well in a border, and their season lasts a long time.

As the leaves start to turn to oranges and reds the heleniums pick up the colours to make a superb autumn show.

There are quite a few different varieties, including bright yellow butterpat and the brownish sahin. Related to the heleniums are the michaelmas daisies, a real standby for the end of summer.

Aster frickartii monch starts off, followed by all the taller ones in different colours, such as the novae-belgie types.

One of the real stars is the sedum known as autumn joy. It is pink as it comes out, but gradually turns to red when it gets colder, and still looks good in the winter.

The tall eupatoriums, which attract butterflies, are wonderful plants, often covered in red admirals and peacock butterflies. They need to have a good supply of nectar now, after the wet summer.

The usual eupatorium is a reddish mauve colour, but it also comes in white, or there is one with purple-brown foliage, called chocolate.

Plants that flower at the end of the year are often brightly coloured.

It's as if they know that we need to be cheered up before winter comes.

By Pat Edwards