Summer may be on its way out but that doesn’t mean that the show is over. Amongst the faded blooms and spent stalks of high season performers, a whole new bunch of flowers are waiting in the wings, ready for their moment in the spotlight.

So plant some of these then sit back and enjoy the spectacle of late season colour.

Scottish Gardener:

Nerine Bowdenii
They don’t come any showier than the Guernsey lily, with its lipstick-pink flowers and strappy foliage. Plant it in well-drained soil in the sunniest spot in the garden and left undisturbed it will grow into huge clumps of starry flowers in the years to come.  On heavy soil, grow it in containers adding lots of grit to the compost and feed during the summer. Move the pots to a protected corner during the winter months.

Scottish Gardener:

Cyclamen Hederifolium
There are lots of different cyclamen that flower from autum until spring, but this is the first to appear and one of the most vigorous, so will out-compete other species if they are planted together. Spread the corms under trees and watch them grow into carpets of pink flowers.

Scottish Gardener:

Colchicum Autumnale
This isn’t a crocus, although it does resemble one, and neither is it saffron, despite its common name of ‘meadow saffron’, instead it is a highly toxic but very beautiful bulb that thrives in moist but well-drained soil and which is ideal for naturalising in grass.

Scottish Gardener:

Chrysanthemum
In September garden centres are filled with dwarf chrysanthemums in rich colours that are great for pots, but you can also grow taller varieties for cut flowers. These half-hardy varieties are started off in spring from cuttings and they need staking  and disbudding in order to produce large, showy blooms, but the results are worth the effort.

Scottish Gardener:

Aster
They may have changed their name to Symphyotrichum, but asters are still the pick of the bunch when it comes to packing a border with autumn colour. Most come in shades of mauve and white but there are pink varieties too. Mulch around the roots in winter and keep dead-heading during the growing season and they will flower for months.

Scottish Gardener:

Hesperantha Coccinea
The Red Flag looks like a refined gladioli but is only half as tall. Give it a really sunny spot in soil that is moist but not waterlogged and it will make itself at home. Cover it with leaves or compost in winter to protect it from frost.

Scottish Gardener:

Hylotelephium
Known to generations of gardeners as ‘sedum’, this is a reliable plant for late summer. There are a huge number of varieties available but one of the most striking is ‘Purple Emperor’, which has beetroot-red stems and dark pink flowers. All kinds perform better if dug up and divided every three years.