11 top plants for Late Summer pots & borders

Hydrangeas

‘As common as’ but a late summer garden essential. The traditional pink or blue varieties are not the only colours. Originally bred for the houseplant market theses new colours are excellent garden varieties too. Look out for them.

Also recent introductions from France are a type that repeat flowers & can be pruned without losing flowers.

The underestimated & often neglected Hydrangea paniculata varieties are spectacular in late summer & have the added benefit that need cutting down to near ground level every March & they still flower the late that summer.

Ester Reads (Leucanthemums)

These reliable and every popular daisies flower from July through August and the new dwarf varieties are ideal for pots & the front of borders. Hardy & very easy to grow & usually pest free.

Roses

It would be easy to forget roses but we must not. With regular deadheading of the faded flowers new flowers will form well into autumn.

Roses do need more attention than many plants as they are susectpable to Black Spot and Mildew plus aphids love the young growth. Regular spraying may be required. We are findind the new series of products called ‘surfactants’ very effective. No pesticides these procducts ‘wash’ pests and diseases off plants. They seem to be best use as a protection in advance of diseases and since we know roses will suffer spray while the leaves are healthy.

Hebes

Not plant that might automatically jump on to this list but for late foliage colour coupled with late clusters of lilac flowers they are a useful addition.

Having fallen out of fashion after extrem winters a few years ago in Northern Britain they are still excellent plants as focal points in large pots with other plants. In the recent mild winters they will grow happily from year to year. A light trim in spring removes any winter damage. They are evergreen and compact. Easy to grow. A fleece covering for the worst winter weather might be good insurance.