We have another few weeks of summer, enjoy it. Because by the end of this month there comes a time when the feel of the garden changes. Suddenly there will be a first smell of autumn. But not to worry, this is the time when your heleniums, grasses and eventually asters come into their own. If you like orange, red and yellow, you could create a flowerbed of mellow orange. Yes, there is such a thing: mix crocosmias, heleniums and rudbeckias but soften the oranges, reds and yellows with ‘Achillea terracotta’ – unfortunately rather short lived in my garden in the north of Scotland. Suddenly those vibrant colours have a softness and beauty that you don’t get any other time of the year – especially with the light changing. And there will be more of this softness -summer is here, but autumn is coming!

Enjoy your garden!