October Flowers to Keep Your Garden Blooming

Crisp, cold mornings and falling leaves herald the change of seasons, but don’t give up on your garden just yet. Add these autumn flowers to your borders and go out in a blaze of glory.

I love the colour of autumn leaves, but trees don’t have to steal the show in your garden. I’ve chosen a selection of flowering plants that really come into their own in October, when other flowers begin to fade. Whether your garden bakes in the sun or is permanently boggy, you’ll find something to add colour this autumn.

As the first frosts approach, you can ease back on the deadheading. Leave the seedheads on autumn-flowering plants like Angelica gigas, sunflowers, agastaches and rudbeckias – the wildlife will thank you, and they look pretty in winter, especially when touched by frost.

Jobs in the garden this month revolve around planting, tidying beds and protecting tender plants before winter.

 

Fuchsia 'Riccartonii'

When other flowers are fading in your garden, you can rely on a fuchsia to keep things colourful. Fuchsia 'Riccartonii' is a popular hardy shrub variety that produces masses of scarlet and purple pendulous flowers from June through to October. It’s easy to grow and, unlike tender fuchsias, you can leave it in the ground year-round.

You’ll need a bit of space in your garden, as Fuchsia 'Riccartonii' can grow to over two metres. It makes a great colourful hedging plant if you live in a milder part of the country. Plant it in full sun or partial shade in fertile, well-drained soil and prune the dieback in spring. It’s best to grow this plant in a sheltered spot, so you don’t lose those beautiful flowers to the wind. 

Plant it with…

Choisya ternata: Pair Fuchsia 'Riccartonii' with this evergreen shrub for a colourful flowering hedge. Choisya ternata’s early flowers provide interest before the fuchsia blooms, and its aromatic evergreen foliage provides shelter for birds through winter.

Geranium 'Boom Chocolatta': Plant hardy geraniums in front of Fuchsia 'Riccartonii' in a mixed border. This variety features pretty purple-blue flowers that bloom from May onwards and bronze foliage.

Primula 'Oakleaf Blue': Primroses flower early, providing spring colour before Fuchsia 'Riccartonii' gets going. The purple and yellow flowers of Primula 'Oakleaf Blue' will fade as the fuchsia starts to bloom.

 

Agastache 'Blue Boa'

This gorgeous perennial adds height, colour and scent to autumn borders. Pollinators love the thick spikes of violet flowers that bloom from mid-summer through to the first frosts, rising above the aniseed-scented green leaves. I recommend leaving some flowers on the plant at the end of autumn as they look stunning in winter.

Agastache ‘Blue Boa’ is very easy to grow as long as you plant it in a sunny, well-drained spot. You’ll need to water it after planting, but once established, it’s drought tolerant. It grows well in poor soils, making it ideal for Mediterranean or gravel gardens. You can also add this versatile plant to a sunny cottage border or combine it with other fragrant plants, such as nepeta, phlox and salvia, in a wildlife-friendly sensory garden.

Plant it with…

Helenium 'Peach Sundae': The brilliant yellow and red flowers of this sun-loving plant are a delightful contrast to the purple flowers of Agastache 'Blue Boa'. While it doesn’t like to be too wet, very dry conditions will affect flowering, so mix some organic matter into the soil before planting and water it during droughts.

Salvia 'Lipstick': Fed up with autumnal colours? Combine the hot-pink flowers of this salvia with Agastache 'Blue Boa' for a dazzling display through to the end of October. Both plants thrive in sunny, well-drained spots.

Angelica gigas: This stunning architectural plant produces large domed flowerheads in late summer. The rich purple stems and flowers and contrasting shape and texture make it a beautiful companion to agastaches in a cool-coloured border.

 

Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue'

The bees absolutely adore the mass of flowers my Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue' produces in spring. Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue' is an autumn-flowering variety, with clusters of sky-blue flowers that appear in late summer and last through to the end of October. Its evergreen leaves keep your garden looking green during the winter months.

Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue' can grow up to 3 m tall and wide. You can also train it against a wall or fence, which helps protect it from the wind and is a good option for smaller gardens and courtyards. Ceanothus likes a sunny, sheltered spot and well-drained soil. Although it’s fully hardy, mulching in autumn will give added protection to the roots in cold winters. These plants really do not like wet roots, so make sure your soil is very well drained.

Plant it with…

Lavender 'Hidcote': Ceanothus pairs well with herbs like lavender, sage and rosemary. Lavender adds summer colour and fragrance, as well as silvery-green evergreen foliage.

Carex 'Bronze Form': The colour and texture of this ornamental grass contrasts nicely with Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue'. Plant it in front of or around the Ceanothus in a Mediterranean-style garden.

Achillea 'Terracotta': For sunny cottage gardens, plant Ceanothus with achilleas, echinacea and other drought-tolerant perennials. The burnt orange and yellow flowerheads of Achillea 'Terracotta' fade to cream at the end of the season, complementing Ceanothus’s blue flowers.

 

Lobelia 'Queen Victoria'

Perhaps only crocosmias can rival the vibrant red of Lobelia 'Queen Victoria', commonly known as the cardinal flower. It’s a real showstopper, with deep purple foliage and tall spikes of scarlet flowers that appear in late summer and autumn.

Although it’s easy to grow, Lobelia 'Queen Victoria' is fussy when it comes to its growing conditions. It likes full sun or partial shade and permanently moist soil – you can even plant it in the margins of a pond. If you’ve got a permanently wet bed or want to develop a bog garden, this is a brilliant plant for autumn flowers.

Plant it with…

Astilbe 'Wonderful Day': Astilbes and cardinal flowers are perfect bog garden companies. Astilbe ‘Wonderful Day’ blooms a little earlier in the year with delightful plumes of pink flowers. 

Actaea 'White Pearl': White baneberry thrives in damp, shady borders and woodland gardens. Grow it with Lobelia 'Queen Victoria' in partially shaded borders or on the edges of clearings, where the cardinal flower can get some sun.

Osmunda regalis: This deciduous fern tolerates pretty much any growing condition, including wet areas. The lush green foliage turns deep bronze in autumn.

 

FAQ

What is October’s birth flower?

Marigolds and cosmos are the birth flowers for October. These pretty annuals are easy to grow and bloom throughout the summer and autumn. Sow seeds indoors in early spring to give them a head start or plant outdoors once the risk of frost has passed.

What flowers can I plant in October in the UK?

For late-season colour, plant cyclamen, pansies and violas in containers and hanging baskets. The beginning of October is a good time to plant perennial flowers for next year and sow hardy annuals like poppies and cornflowers. You can also sow sweet peas this month in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse to give them a head start for next year.

What flowers are in season in October?

Plenty of flowers bloom in October, including dahlias, heleniums, cosmos, chrysanthemums, fuchsias, asters and salvias. Deadhead flowers throughout the summer to extend the flowering period until the first frosts.