Late summer colour in Linda's garden

Despite the multitude of extreme weather events we've had this year parts of the garden are still going strong.  Here are some of the more unusual plants that I grow to provide interest and colour into the autumn.

I bought this plant, Strobilanthes atropurpurea, a couple of years ago at a plant fair without knowing much about it, however it's proved reliable with unusual shaped flowers not opening until August.  It is said to seed freely.

The annual climber, Ipomoea coccinea, grows fast and produces a new crop of these cheerful red flowers every morning.

This group of plants grow in a small bed near the house. They follow on from Lilium regale and before that spring flowering cyclamen coum, snowdrops and anemone blanda.  Everything is left in the ground all year.  

I bought this Roscoea as a seedling from Keith Wiley at his garden Wildside in North Devon.  I highly recommend a visit if you are ever in that area. It is also just down the road from The Garden House.  

It doesn't appear above ground until June but is in flower towards the end of July.  Behind it are a group of Eucomis bicolor that have increased over the years.  The dark leaf is Perilla, an annual herb, which I grow each year for its foliage.

This bed was replanted last year and although it's getting absolutely battered by the wind at the moment the plants seem to be coping.  

The Eupatorium atropurpureum with its fluffy pink flowers is about 7ft high but doesn't seem to need staking.  In the background Phytolacca or Pokeweed has now exchanged its spikes of pink flowers for dark black seeds. 

Ageratina 'Chocolate' with its dark leaves produces heads of white flowers usually towards the end of September but its foliage sets off the Japanese Anemone Honorine Jobert.

Finally there are the shocking pink flowers of Persicaria orientalis an annual also known as 'Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate'.  This will grow to well over 6ft. It seeds around and basically looks after itself.

I bought Rudbeckia herbstonne at one of the village plant sales many years ago and so I imagine lots of us grow it.  The bright yellow flowers appear in August together with those of the purple Vernonia, also called Ironweed.  Both are natives of North America and both grow to well over 6ft tall.  With them are the scarlet flowers of Lobelia tupa and purple Salvia Amistad.

 Best wishes Linda