How to give your garden a late-summer glow up

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How to give your garden a late-summer glow up

Give your July and August garden a colour boost with these planting and design tips and tricks

This guide comes courtesy of Byron Thomas, the head of horticulture at Petersham Nurseries, a garden nursery, lifestyle store and glasshouse restaurant in Richmond, London. For his top ten plants for the late-summer garden, check out the info below and the matching reel on our Instagram.

We’ve all been there.… The date has been in the diary for weeks and the to-do list is ever-growing. But time is up: the BBQ you’re hosting is upon you. The weather looks glorious, but the garden isn’t looking its best. Fear not, there is plenty you can do in mid- to late-summer to give your garden a glow up.

It’s true, July and August have traditionally been thought of as a bad time to make any major garden improvements. It’s spring and autumn that are the classic, recommended moments in the year to get plants in the ground. This is largely to do with the weather and most plants’ natural growing rhythms.

In summer, the lack of rainfall and the hotter weather can stress young plants. Small plants need larger amounts of water to establish strong root growth, while larger perennials, shrubs and trees also need to be regularly watered until they are able to establish themselves in their new home. So, if you can, save major planting for autumn and spring. That said, there’s still lots you can do.

Starting plants off in pots as I recommend below is a great way to add colour and life throughout the year. Plants can then be moved into the ground in autumn. Mulching everything you plant can help to retain moisture and reduce stress on the plant. Add an organic mulch like compost to the planting hole and then top the bed with mulch like compost, bark or even gravel. Another tip is to water everything well early in the morning, before the day’s heat, to maximise water retention at the roots.

With a few simple interventions, and a bit of care of your plants, you can give your garden a guest-ready refresh.

LEAN ON HERBS
One of the simplest and most effective things you can do to add a sense of generosity, scent and colour to the garden is to introduce pots of herbs to the dining table and around the BBQ. Nothing says you’re a natural host and seasoned cook like plucking a mint leaf for cocktails, decorating dishes with a sprig of flowering coriander or using the fresh basil in your salad.

Plant the herbs into terracotta pots and place them down the centre of the table. My tip is to add small vases filled with cut roses among the pots of herbs. This will bring a hit of colour to the table without being too showy. The best go-to herbs are the classics: vibrant basil, sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, coriander and mint.

CONCENTRATE YOUR COLOUR
You want to create a big impact fast, so think smart. Concentrate the biggest, showiest, most colourful plants around the main seating areas to provide maximum wow factor. Focus on a couple of strong colours provided by plants that are flowering right now and plant them in planters (or beds, if you have them) by seating areas and cooking areas.

Below I’ve introduced the stars of the mid- to late-summer show. These plants will add so much to the party!

All the plants I recommend can be mono-planted to great effect (that means planted alone). For example, try one large pot or planter full of dahlias and you’ll get real impact. Cosmos also looks great on its own in pots, as does Leucanthemum – it truly provides a joyful hit of summer magic.

But equally, don’t be afraid to mix pot and plant sizes and colours to create a feeling of abundance. For example, you can create layered compositions of blues and pinks with Salvia ‘Blue Spire’, Oenothera lindheimeri and Potentilla atrosanguinea mixed together in one planter.

Another great combination is Salvia ‘Amistad’, Lychnis ‘Jenny’ and Dahlia ‘Sincerity Peach’. For larger pots, try mixing heleniums with salvias ‘Blue Spire’ and ‘Amistad’, Oenothera lindheimeri and Potentilla astrosanguinea – that’s a lot of plants, but it’ll make for a real showstopper.

Once the perennials have finished flowering, they can be cut back to near the ground and be planted in the garden. They will put on good root growth through the autumn and into spring, when they’ll be ready to leaf and flower again.

10 PLANTS FOR LATE-SUMMER COLOUR
You’ll be bringing eye-catching colour to the garden while making sure your outdoor space is as welcoming to wild guests (pollinators, bees, butterflies and garden wildlife) as it is to your mates. To see all of these plants, check out this reel on our Instagram.

Dahlias (pictured top left)
These are a must have for any late-summer garden and look so good in pots. They can be mono-planted on mass or layered into a mixed planter. They come in peaches, pinks and rich reds and in every shape and size you fancy.

Salvia ‘Blue Spire’ (pervoskia) (pictured top middle)
This salvia is a great addition to any planter and adds height and spires of vivid blue. A member of the sage family, it has scented, silvery grey leaves.

Heleniums (pictured top right)
Tough, hardy and easy to grow, heleniums add a hit of hot colour to the late-summer garden. The colours range from rich yellow to deep orange and copper, and they look like a carnival of daisies.

Cosmos
Although a half-hardy annual not a perennial, cosmos is still readily available from most good garden centres in 2-litre pots in July. They give a real sense of summer to any mixed planters and look great on their own. They are well known for their long-lasting blooms, typically flowering from midsummer until the first frosts, especially if you deadhead old flowers or take fresh stems for vases.

Oenothera lindheimeri (guara) (pictured bottom left)
This gorgeous plant has delicate, slender stems that produce masses of open-petalled flowers all summer. Perfect for growing in pots and adding tall layers to planting schemes.

Potentilla atrosanguinea
A wonderful perennial that carries pops of colour in pinks and reds on open, wiry stems that weave through planters. This gives the feeling of confident, casual planting.

Leucanthemum (pictured bottom middle)
No summer would be complete without a show of daisies in the garden. Leucanthemum (which include ox-eye daisies) are prolific flowerers until late autumn. A must have.

Salvia ‘Amistad’ (pictured bottom right)
This plant will produce striking, deep blue flowers all summer long and well into autumn. It adds height and abundance to any planter.

Lychnis ‘Jenny’
Grown for its large, double, pink flowers on strong upright stems, this will bloom all summer into autumn.

GO FOR A MINIMAL PALETTE
By keeping the colour concentrated to the seating areas and main entertaining zones, you are creating a real sense of intensity to the space. And when this is juxtaposed with a strong but limited palette in the wider garden, you can create a feeling of design and confidence.

To achieve this, use larger shrubs and key plants in the wider garden to add a limited, but cohesive palette. For example, I would liberally plant Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ in the beds (pictured in Byron’s arms above). This adds an amazing backdrop of acid-green tones, which then turn white with majestic spires and lacy petals.

Hydrangeas can also be paired with the wonderful scent of Trachelospermum jasminoides, an essential evergreen climber that will cover walls and fences producing masses of white, star-shaped flowers throughout the summer.

ADD LIGHTING
Lighting adds another dimension and sense of atmosphere to the space. Not only does it serve a practical purpose and allow the garden to be used well into the evening, it also creates a sense of magic, intimacy and fun.

A minimal fuss option could be some festoon lights around the seating area (there are plug-in lights readily available). You can also buy small spike lights for pots and planters, to add some mood and drama to the wider backdrop. Candles on the table or lanterns around the seating area are simple additions.

POP A CUSHION ON IT
Don’t underestimate the power of soft furnishings, particularly if you carefully consider your palette. Think about your plant colours, vase colours, any crockery or tablecloths you’re using, and then tie in with outdoor floor cushions, bench mattresses or seating pads. They’re comfy, informal and add a pop of colour. The same goes for outdoor rugs, and there are plenty of great ones out there made from recycled plastic bottles.

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