Keeping the colour going

Your garden is certainly colourful in Autumn what lovely shows you have . I have to keep in pots now having a small garden which is full great idea buying bulbs which flower in Autumn though thank you again Andrew.

Its beautiful Andrew, mine doesn't run out of steam in autumn, my problem is the early summer, I've never yet managed to fill the gap between a spring show which I do have and midsummer, there always seems to be weeks of green until the summer ones bloom for me, yes I have the planters and baskets but beds and borders I have yet to master, I know I could buy plants already in flower and obviously I do buy some but to me that's cheating, I like to grow my own...

What Wonderful colour! I rescued a forgotten aster the other day and need to get some more. You've inspired me to create a lovely autumn display!

It looks beautiful Andrew,mine is still going strong also.

Really beautiful and such good advice about grouping the plants together which have late colour.
Asters are gorgeous I think.

You have a superb Autumn show there Andrew.....I love all the daisy family, the low growing plant between the Melianthus and the white flower, looks like a Ceratostigma...is it? have taken ours out it was three feet tall and wide with flowers on the ends only!!

Yes, it's ceratostigma plumbaginoides which stays low. It sounds as if yours was ceratostigma willmottianum (which doesn't).
The white flower is anaphalis margaritacea 'Neuschnee', a dwarf everlasting flower. You can also just make out a couple of flowers on leucanthemum 'Little Miss Muffet' next to the ceratostigma.

I bought 2 more asters at the HPS lecture day[ Bishop Burton East Yorkshire] that our group held on the last day of September. Did any of you go?

I find Rudbekias, Heleniums and helianthus wonderful for the hot bed and the jap anemones a good mainstay at the back of the border.

your garden looks lovely Andrew.

A wonderful show.

Thanks Andrew, you're correct of course it was willmottianum, we are looking for some low growing front of border hardy , and reliable plants!! perhaps a blog from you Andrew?

DD - now that depends on soil, aspect, season of interest, colour of flowers .... Without more information, that would be an incredibly long blog!

We're into October now & my garden is still colourful, at least it will be until the frost changes that, then it won't look so good, but for now I still have cosmos, dahlias, roses, begonias, cyclamen & helianthus flowering away as well as some of those you mentioned.

Well Andrew!! colour through the year, sun and shade loving, no more than 12 ins tall......any soil.... is that enough to go, on something to ponder on perhaps during the cold wet months to follow!

DD - you may have a long wait then as I'm currently writing a gardening book during the winter months. Perhaps it will have the information in it you want and you will have to buy it? ;-)

Very nice Andrew, what is the white flowering plant in your first picture please.

The white flower is anaphalis margaritacea 'Neuschnee', a dwarf everlasting flower. The straight species is taller and flops a bit, this is a smaller form and is more manageable.

Thanks Andrew

I didn't know you wrote gardening books Andrew, have you done any already, I love my gardening books and one would be extra special written by you...

LL - no, this is my first attempt at one. I attended a creative writing course last autumn, and the tutor encouraged me to write it.