Plant in the Fall, Top 20 of the best beautiful flower plants for Pots and bedding in garden Bloom In autumn in the UK
Keeping a beautiful garden in the fall or autumn can be really nice, and you can do it by picking the right flower plants that bloom late in the season. Some good choices for making your garden look great in late summer and early fall are asters, sedums, and Japanese anemones. They start to look their best when summer is turning into autumn.
But if you have a small garden and don’t want to add more plants for the new season, you can choose plants that stay colorful from July all the way to October. Salvia and fuchsia are examples of plants that are reliable for this. They give your garden pretty flowers during the summer and keep blooming for several weeks.
You can also read Top 10 Fastest Growing Good Trailing House Plants and Care Tips
Table of Contents
Toggle“20 Best Autumn Flowering Plants for Your UK Garden”
1. Dahlias
“Dahlias, like the ‘American Dawn’ variety, keep blooming until the first frost in the UK. They bring a burst of color when the summer flowers start to fade. Dahlias come in many shapes and colors, from delicate singles to striking cactus or pom-pom types. You can plant them from seeds or tubers in spring, or buy already blooming plants. Remember to protect the tubers in winter if you live in a cold area.”
Height x Spread: | 1m x 70cm (depending on variety) |
Flowers: | July-November |
2. Colchicum ‘Waterlily’
To have beautiful autumn crocuses like ‘Waterlily’ in your garden, it’s a good idea to plan ahead. Plant these bulbs in the ground during May or June, and you can put them under trees, in your garden borders, or even in your grassy areas if you want them to spread naturally. ‘Water Lily’ is special because it has pretty, layered petals that really catch your eye.
Height x Spread: | 15cm x 10cm |
Flowers: | Sep-Oct |
3. Winter-Flowering Violas
If you want to add some color to your window boxes and containers during the fall and winter, consider planting winter-flowering violas like ‘Sorbet Ruby Gold Babyface.’ These flowers are budget-friendly and can bloom from September onwards. They’ll bring some color to your windowsills or doorstep, especially during milder weather.
Taking care of violas is easy, and you can mix them with other plants like pansies, skimmia, ivy, and boxwood to create a lovely display.
Height x Spread: | 15cm x 20cm |
Flowers: | March-October |
4. Sternbergia Lutea
Sternbergia, also called the winter daffodil, looks a lot like crocuses and adds a charming touch to your garden borders or spaces between shrubs and perennials. To grow them, plant the bulbs during the late summer or fall, burying them about 15 cm deep in the soil.
Height x Spread: | 15cm x 8cm |
Flowers: | September-November |
5. Japanese Anemones
Anemone x hybrida comes in different varieties with lovely flowers on delicate stems, mostly in pink or white colors. ‘Pretty Lady Susan’ is a great choice for small spots in your garden border, while taller ones like ‘Honorine Jobert’ can reach up to 1.2 meters, making them perfect for the back of your garden.
These Japanese anemones prefer shaded areas, but they still need some sunlight to bloom their best.
Height x Spread: | 45cm x 60cm |
Flowers: | August-October |
6. Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’
You can make the beloved black-eyed Susan even more attractive by planting it alongside ornamental grasses and perennials that bloom late. This way, your garden will stay colorful all the way into autumn. These flowers look like daisies and last until October, especially when they get plenty of sunlight.
Height x Spread: | 60cm x 45cm |
Flowers: | August-October |
7. Asters
Asters, such as ‘Little Carlow’ with small violet flowers or ‘King George’ with bigger, dark blue blooms, bring vibrant purple colors to your garden until late October. These flowers are simple to grow and have single, daisy-like petals. They also attract pollinators and can thrive in both sunny and partially shaded areas.
Height x Spread: | 70cm x 40cm |
Flowers: | Aug-October |
8. Snapdragons
Snapdragons, also called antirrhinums, are annual plants that bring beauty to your garden with flowers from summer all the way through October. They come in many different colors, making them great for bouquets and attractive to bees. You can start them by planting their seeds indoors in early spring and then move them outside after the last frost. To keep the blooms coming, remember to regularly remove the faded flowers.
Height x Spread: | 90cm x 30cm |
Flowers: | June to October |
9. Fuchsia
If you want vibrant and attention-grabbing colors, fuchsias are hard to beat. Varieties like ‘Mrs. Popple’ and ‘Lady Boothby’ keep their beauty all the way into autumn, making them great focal points in your garden borders. You can also find smaller or trailing types that work well for decorating containers on your patio.
Height x Spread: | 1.1m x 1.1m |
Flowers: | June-October |
10. Liriope muscari
Autumn-flowering lily turf is a charming plant that looks lovely beneath trees or shrubs. It does really well in shady areas and blooms with tall spikes of purple flowers that last until November. This makes it an easy-to-care-for option for spots in your garden that are a bit tricky to manage.
Height x Spread: | 30cm x 45cm |
Flowers: | August-November |
11. Chrysanthemum
To brighten up your garden borders in the late season, consider planting a vibrant chrysanthemum like ‘Ruby Mound.’ These perennial flowers come in a wide range of colors, including deep reds, fiery oranges, sunny yellows, and pure whites. Just make sure to plant them in a sunny and sheltered spot, and they’ll bring a cheerful touch to your garden.
Height x Spread: | 50cm x 50cm |
Flowers: | August-October |
12. Cyclamen hederifolium
You can plant autumn-flowering cyclamen between August and October, either under shrubs and trees or among other woodland plants. These flowers come in pink or white, and they bloom before their leaves, which are heart-shaped and have a silvery marbled look.
Height x Spread: | 12cm x 15cm |
Flowers: | September-November |
13. Hesperantha coccinea ‘Major’
Crimson flag lilies, also called shizostylis, look a bit like gladioli but have graceful, small flowers on tall stems. ‘Major’ has vibrant scarlet red flowers, but you can also find pink and white ones. These lilies can add height to sunny areas in your garden and are excellent for making flower arrangements.
Height x Spread: | 60cm x 30cm |
Flowers: | September-October |
14. Spanish Flag
Plant this annual climber in the spring, and you’ll enjoy fiery red and cream flowers covering trellises or tall supports, growing.
Height x Spread: | 5m x 60cm |
Flowers: | July-October |
15. Nerine bowdenii
Plant nerine bulbs in sunny spots from May to June. These unique and long-lasting flowers are great for autumn containers or filling empty spaces in your garden border. While some types might need protection from frost, Nerine bowdenii is one of the more cold-resistant varieties.
Height x Spread: | 45cm x 25cm |
Flowers: | September-November |
16. Kniphofia
Red hot pokers can bring excitement to your autumn garden, with their tall and colorful presence. They come in classic bright red, but you can also find varieties in yellow and orange like ‘Sunningdale Yellow’ and ‘Tawny King.’
Height x Spread: | 1.25m x 1m |
Flowers: | July-October |
17. Cup and Saucer Vine
Cobaea Scandens is a rapid-growing climber that’s great for decorating walls and fences. It keeps flowering until the first frost, displaying lovely purple, bell-shaped flowers. To grow it, start the seeds indoors during early spring and move the plants outside after the last frost. You can place them in sunny garden borders or containers.
Height x Spread: | 3m x 2m |
Flowers: | July-October |
18. Salvia greggii ‘Purple Emperor’
To bring bees and butterflies to your garden, consider planting salvia with dark purple flowers and fragrant leaves. While it’s resilient in many places, in colder regions, you might need to protect it from frost. You can also grow new plants from cuttings to make sure they survive a harsh winter.
Height x Spread: | 60cm x 60cm |
Flowers: | June-October |
19. Hebe ‘Autumn Glory’
Hebes are great for adding structure to your garden borders. They come in many compact evergreen varieties with shiny leaves that can be tinged with red or purple. One such variety is ‘Autumn Glory,’ which is easy to care for, attracts bees, and keeps blooming into the autumn season while its leaves turn even deeper in color.
Height x Spread: | 60cm x 60cm |
Flowers: | July-October |
20. Abelia x grandiflora
Grow this semi-evergreen shrub in a sunny and sheltered area to enjoy its fragrant pink flowers that last into the autumn. Abelia can be a lovely centerpiece in your garden after the summer perennials have finished blooming.
Height x Spread: | 3m x 4m |
Flowers: | June-October |
By choosing from these late-blooming plants, you can keep your garden colorful all the way into autumn. This will make your outdoor space a visual delight and a lovely sanctuary.