The Irish landscape designer recommends her favourite plants for adding late season colour to gardens …
My garden is a soft, wild lakeside garden in the west of Ireland. A lot of the wider site is wild meadows with wonderful native orchids. I love looking out at the lilac field, scabious and meadowsweet at this time of the year. Closer to the house I have planted naturalistic borders with lots of grasses and pollinators and I also have an area around my polytunnel which is a gravel garden. It looks great and keeps the slugs away from the fruit and veg in the tunnel.
My garden is like my plant laboratory as I try out every plant I ever specify to understand how it grows, its unique patterns and needs. I also love the seasons in the garden and am a huge fan of adding spring interest early for visual beauty and also for pollinators. I have lots of tulips, daffodils, croci and snowdrops scattered across the gardens.
I am always asked about my tips for adding late season colour to gardens. Asters are a dream at this time of year, providing invaluable bursts of colour that extend the season’s beauty. Aster × frikartii ‘Mönch’ and the more compact Aster amellus ‘King George’ pair beautifully with grasses and are loved by wildlife. For an extra touch of fun, consider adding Cosmos varieties. I’m particularly fond of the soft, pale pinks, but there are also more unique options like Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Apricota’ or Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Xsenia’ to explore.
While many people plant poppies for their striking blooms, I adore them most for their seedheads, which take on a fascinating, skeletal beauty as the season progresses. This is when their architectural forms truly shine. For impressive, structured seedheads, try Papaver somniferum ‘Hungarian Blue’ or the rich, plum-toned Papaver somniferum ‘Lauren’s Grape’. Paired with grasses, these poppies create a stunning display that lasts late into the season and look visually breathtaking on a frosty morning too!
At this time of year, few plants are as beneficial to wildlife as Hylotelephium, also known as Sedum. Varieties like ‘Herbstfreude’ and ‘Matrona’ offer a lovely fleshy texture to garden schemes and planters, while providing essential food for bees and other pollinators. Another fantastic choice for late-season colour is Agastache, or hyssop. This bushy perennial is perfect for the middle of a sheltered border and complements Mediterranean-style gardens beautifully. Not only does it flower well into October, but it’s also adored by wildlife and has the added bonus of peppermint-scented leaves, which can even be used in the kitchen.
Need to Know: Leonie Cornelius is launching a border series this month. The first in the series is this jewel-toned spring bulb mix, €120, which includes a digital downloadable plan, planting guide, maintenance and tips for creating a designer effect as well as ten per cent discount on other bulbs. You can plant this mix from September to December. It is available to buy at www.leoniecornelius.com. Follow Leonie @leonie.cornelius.