Come October I love seeing the leaves on the trees turning from green through to vibrant shades of oranges and reds, a colour palette that can easily be replicated in the borders to mirror the trees. The yellows of the daisy like Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii‘Goldsturm’  or Rudbeckia fulgida‘Little Goldstar’ are two varieties that are more compact and ideal for the middle to front of a border, respectively. Heleniums also come in smaller varieties to brighten up the front of a border or along a path, Helenium autumnale‘Fuego’ yellow with orange splashes or Salsa with its bright red petals.

Rudbeckia

Further back in the border the red spires of Persicaria amplexicaulis‘Firetail’ or the deep red of Blackfield will still be providing colour at this time of year. Some crocosmia have a second flush of flowers in October, the orange with hints of bright red of Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora‘Emily Mckenzie’ or the bright red with yellow centres of Carmin Brilliant and the vibrant red Lucifer is known to go on until October with the right weather. I’m familiar with the blue-purple varieties of Agastache but Agastache‘Summer Sunset’ is a new variety I’ve only just come across, starting off with orange buds that turn into apricot flowers with a pink flush.

Persicaria and Heleniums

Planting any of these flowers against a backdrop of grasses will show them off, whether tying them in with grasses that also flower around this time, several of the Miscanthus varieties have red flowers around October.Miscanthus sinensis‘Morning Light’ has reddish brown flowers and Kleine Silberspinne is perfect for a small space or to squeeze into already brimming border. Then again just leave the seed heads on grasses that have already flowered to create a backdrop, as they fade to gold or silver in the autumn sunlight.

Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’

At the cooler end of the spectrum many salvias will still flower into October from Salvia nemorosa‘Caradonna’ with its deep purple stems and violet blue flowers, to the purple pink buds of ‘Sensation Rose’ opening to a paler pink. Geraniums are the plant that keep on giving with many of them flowering month after month, Geranium clarkei‘Kashmir White’ has delicate white flowers with lilac veins. An ideal plant to link in with taller lilac flowers in a summer border such as Verbenabonariensisor Thalictrum delavayi, giving the border a feeling of harmony. Several of the blue flowering geraniums will still be providing colour in the garden, Geranium ‘Rozanne’ with its white centre or the paler ‘Havanna Blues’ with darker veins and a white centre.

Echinacea and Asters

Moving through the border the bushy spires of agastache are still popping up, not only do the flowers attracted bees and butterflies into the garden but the leaves are scented leaves too. The flowers come in pastel shades, the pale blue of ‘Blue Fortune’, the violet of ‘Blackadder’ or the white of Agastache foeniculum‘Alabaster’.  Agastache‘After Eight’ comes with lavender coloured flowers and dark green purple tinted foliage. The daisies of cone flowers provide the ideal contrast to the fluffy spires of agastache, either the vibrant pink of Echinacea purpureaor the simple white of ‘White Swan’ will complement the lavenders and blues. While the weather is milder it’s the ideal time to divide up existing plants, add in a few extra for next year or take a few photographs of what the garden looks like now and start planning in preparation to make changes to the border in spring.