While some gardeners may be thinking about putting their garden to bed at the end of summer, Gardeners’ World presenter Rachel de Thame is enjoying the beauty of dahlias and sedums, as well as other eye-catching plants as the cooler months approach. “The whole idea of putting the garden to bed no longer really applies,” says the TV presenter and writer, who will be offering seasonal planting suggestions to visitors at the Malvern Autumn Show later this month. “I think we’ve all recognised that there’s still so much beauty to see in the garden later in the year and it’s better for the garden and the wildlife and pollinators that we don’t chop it all back and neaten it all off.
“I would say, embrace every aspect of the seasons and enjoy some of these incredible colours and the firework display that we get in autumn and those rare frosty days which sparkle in winter.” De Thame’s favourites for seasonal interest include: 1. Dahlias “I must admit that dahlias were plants I didn’t grow for ages, until about 12 years ago, when I visited a garden and was confronted by a bank of colour which was absolutely mind-blowing.
I’ve become completely addicted to them ever since, because they are incredibly good-value plants. “They begin flowering in summer and in my garden keep going until November. If you deadhead regularly, you are encouraging lots of new flowers.
“Increasingly, the breeding that’s gone into dahlias in the last few years means there has has.