How to keep colour in your garden through late summer and beyond
As we head into the second half of summer, one of the most common things I hear from clients and friends is:
"My garden’s just gone green"
And not in the eco-friendly way - they mean the colour has basically disappeared, and all they can see is the green leaves on their plants.
All of those fabulous early flowering Rhododendrons, Azaleas and cherry blossoms that bring our gardens to life at the start of the year have faded. Up until the end of May, and even June, the garden was full of promise. Yet, by July and August it's all a bit green and flat.
So why does this happen, and how can we avoid it?
Why gardens ‘go green’ in late summer
It’s totally understandable. At the start of the year, from the signs of the first snowdrops emerging in January, we’re all desperate for spring and colour and signs of life. The garden centres know this too, and we therefore eagerly fill our gardens with:
Camellias, Rhododendrons and Azaleas, Pieris and spring bulbs
Early flowering perennials like Iris, Primula and Aquilegia
Flowering trees and shrubs that put on a brilliant display of spring blossom
These are beautiful and valuable plants in their own right - and most of us living in Scotland have acidic soil, so the ericaceous loving plants - Camellias, Rhododendrons/Azaleas and Pieris - are perfectly designed for our gardens. But without planning ahead and relying solely on these plants, your borders can and will lose steam by mid-summer.
Building in colour that lasts
When I’m creating a planting plan, I use the principle that at least 50 per cent of the planting should add value in late summer and autumn. This helps to give a garden real longevity and stops that ‘all green by July’ look. If you are worried that the planting is too focused on late summer colour, rather than early, that is where spring bulbs, especially Alliums, can be an invaluable addition, for delivering on late spring and early summer colour.
Below I have listed some of the plants I use again and again - for colour, texture, and pollinator value, and because on the whole I feel they work really well in Scottish gardens.
Plants for late summer colour
🌼 Actaea simplex ‘Brunette’
Elegant foliage that is a deep, dark purple, with upright fragrant spires of white flowers in August onwards. Likes some shade and is a fantastic addition to more naturalistic borders.
🌼 Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (now Hylotelephium)
Loved by bees, tough as old boots, and provides structure and colour well into autumn. I like to leave the plant standing over winter too - it catches the frosts and adds good winter interest and value.
🌼 Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ or ‘Little Goldstar’
Golden, bold and beautiful flowers with a brown centre - great for bees and full of energy. A very reliable flower for a sunny position.
🌼 Asters (now Symphyotrichum) - too many varieties to name!
Classic autumn flowers with tones from soft lilac to deep purple — wonderful for extending colour into the later months.
🌼 Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’ & Eupatorium maculatum ‘Purpureum’
Two real favourites of mine. Eupatorium is tall, elegant and hardy - it flowers for ages and is always humming with bees. Veronicastrum is tall, airy, and ideal for the back of the border - I love its upright habit and flower spires.
🌾 Ornamental grasses like Calamagrostis, Miscanthus, and Stipa gigantea
Grasses add structure, texture, and movement to a garden - properties that shouldn’t be undervalued. Even when they’re not flowering, they catch the light and soften everything around them. Most grasses come into their own in late summer and autumn, and these ones I’ve listed above look fantastic over winter too. Why not try grasses in your garden, rather than shrubs?
Don’t forget foliage
When flowers fade, foliage steps in, and it’s just as important for keeping things interesting. Think of the most beautiful flower arrangement you’ve ever seen. I bet it relied as much on foliage as it did on flowers. Your garden is simply a bigger translation of this.
Try mixing in plants with excellent foliage, which lasts for many months and adds so much value. These are a few of my favourites:
Physocarpus ‘Magic Ball’ – purple-bronze foliage, compact and striking
Cotinus ‘Royal Purple’ – bold and dramatic, with big oval deep purple leaves for months on end
Acer ‘Bloodgood’ – elegant, architectural foliage, turning a fiery red in autumn
Choisya ‘Sundance’ – zingy lime green foliage, with creamy white, fragrant flowers in late spring
Heuchera varieties – ‘Palace Purple’ is a classic for a reason, and I personally find this one and other dark purple varieties a bit tougher and hardier than the others
Variegated shrubs – like Ilex ‘Madame Briot’ (holly) to lift dark corner
If you’re not sure what’s missing from your garden, visit a nursery or garden centre now and see what’s looking colourful. You’ll get a real sense of what’s thriving in the moment — and what could fill your late summer gaps. Don’t underestimate the value of foliage and texture, which last such a long time, compared to flowers.
Practical tip: make space for more
Early July is a brilliant time to do a little midsummer tidy up. Some perennials, like Geraniums and Nepeta, can now be looking leggy and past their best. You can cut these right back to the ground now, and they’ll often put on a fresh flush of foliage which will look far better for the rest of the year - they might even produce new flowers too.
Cutting back leggy plants also gives you space to introduce some later-season colour and helps light to reach other plants.
Why it matters for you and the pollinators
Of course, we want our gardens to look good for our own enjoyment. But keeping colour and flowers going into late summer also helps pollinators thrive. After spring-flowering trees and shrubs are finished flowering, your garden will be an important food source, especially for bees, butterflies, and hoverflies.
By planning for late summer, you’re not just making your garden more beautiful, you’re making it more ecologically rich and supportive of local wildlife too.
In summary: how to avoid the mid-summer fade
✔️ Balance your spring-flowering favourites with strong late summer performers
✔️ Think beyond flowers – use texture, structure and foliage colour
✔️ Plan for pollinators with nectar-rich options through the season
✔️ Make space in July by cutting back early perennials
✔️ Visit the garden centre now to see what’s looking good– and take inspiration home
What are your favourite plants for late summer colour?
I’d love to hear what’s working in your garden, or help you figure out how to bring more balance and interest through the seasons. Drop me a message, or come say hello over on Instagram.
👉 Find me here
Nicola
The Bonnie Gardener
nicola@thebonniegardener.co.uk
