As we move into autumn, the colours in our gardens shift from bright and pastel tones to softer, warmer hues. Autumn offers an opportunity for coastal gardens to begin a whole new chapter, highlighting texture, structure and vibrant seasonal colour.
When designing a garden, it is crucial to think about year round interest and not just the summer months. You want to look out your garden and always have something interesting to look at. Designers will always carefully consider this and make sure that when laying out plants in a garden, there is a variety of seasonal plants in every corner of the garden. Some plants take on completely different characteristics in autumn when their seed heads are left so it is always important to not rush cutting back in the autumn.
When designing a garden, it’s important to think beyond the summer months and consider how the planting will change throughout the year. A well designed garden should always have seasonal interest carefully considered throughout the space. Some plants take on an entirely new character in autumn, with fading flowers, changing foliage and structural seed heads. We always advise customers not to be too quick with the autumn cutbacks, leaving seed heads standing can bring texture, structure and shelter to insects in the colder months.
Phlomis russliana
In the summer, Phlomis grow tall spears with tiers of yellow flowers. As the flowers fade, the sculptural seed heads look amazingly sculptural through autumn and winter, bringing striking autumn interest to the garden.
Miscanthus ‘morning light’
One of our absolute favourite grasses to use in garden design. This tall, elegant grass has fine, silvery foliage that moves beautifully in the coastal wind. As autumn arrives, soft, feathery plumes emerge in varying warm shades of white and pink, bringing movement, texture and seasonal interest to the garden.
Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’
Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’ thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it ideal for bringing autumn colour into coastal gardens. Clusters of rusty-pink flowers appear from late summer into autumn, while its mid-height habit (around 60cm) makes it perfect for filling the middle of a border.
Anemanthele lessoniana
Another grass that we are always using in our designs. Anemanthele lessoniana transforms from fresh green into stunning shades of yellow, copper, orange and red as autumn arrives. Although it only reaches a medium height, make sure to give it plenty of room to grow outwards, as its foliage can spread to around 1m.
Dahlias
If you are a keen gardener, make sure to grow dahlias. They’re incredibly rewarding, brilliant for cut flowers and hard to beat when it comes to adding a final burst of colour before winter. With a huge range of colours and varieties to choose from, many will continue flowering right through autumn until the first frosts. Regular deadheading will keep the flowers coming, and while they love a sunny position, they’ll appreciate a more sheltered spot when planted in a coastal garden.
