Late-summer spectacular

DURING the lazy, hazy days of midsummer it’s easy to lose momentum in the garden – to take your foot off the accelerator, sit back and relax. But if you want to guarantee colour for months to come, now is the time to seize control. By planting even a small selection of later-flowering perennials, annuals or shrubs now, you’ll be rewarded with a fresh display that will take over as the early summer stars start to lose their lustre, and carry you well into autumn. Many late summer-flowering plants also provide a lifeline for pollinators hungry for nectar.

It doesn’t matter whether you have a large space or a tiny courtyard, there’s a plant or combination that will revive your garden.