This week's jobs around the garden

Some other plants that are keeping the garden alive and buzzing during this month, and hopefully beyond, are the late flowering perennials such as the mauve coloured Verbena bonariensis.

Try and get the lower growing form ‘Lollipop’ and plant it with Redbeckia ‘Goldstrum’ for a great colour combination.

The Sedums too are really doing their thing at the moment. I still rave about the traditional favourite, ‘Autumn Joy’ but a purple coloured variety ‘Jose Aubergine’ which I planted several years ago now, is beginning to take over as my preferred choice.

The bees and butterflies adore them and this is what makes the garden truly alive.

Another favourite at this time of the year is the Japanese or Autumn Anemones. Don’t plant them in the open ground unless you are happy for them to take over, but do grow them in pots because their simple pink and white flowers are one of the true joys iin the garden at the moment.

One that can be planted out and will behave itself is ‘Wild Swan’, a beautiful white flowering form with blue undersides to the petals which is far too graceful and correct looking to be any kind of a nuisance.