Saga Magazine – August 2018

104 SAGA.CO.UK/AUG-MAG^ I^2018

Heleniums come in shades

of foxy red, orange and yellow.

There is a huge range, fl owering

at different times but, in

general, taller heleniums fl ower

later. They need fertile soil or

they will struggle, with one

Above Dahlias

add splashes

of orange, red

and purple

Below Clematis,

a colourful

climber

Aug ust

STAR PERFORMERS

exception: ‘Sahin’s Early

Flowerer’. This hybrid happily

tolerates drier conditions,

repeat fl owers if deadheaded,

and each fl ower is slightly

different. It reaches 1m (3ft)

and forms a tight clump.

Look out for drought-tolerant plants that reach their peak now, in what can be

one of the less interesting months in the garden, says Val Bourne

ugust is diffi cult. The water table is often low, so

the garden looks tired, and there’s a natural lull between

summer and autumn-fl owering perennials. But there

are certain plants that are guaranteed to lift your garden,

and with the right choice August need never seem dull again.

A

Penstemons will be on sale

in garden centres throughout

summer. Choose a sunny

position and if the penstemon

is in fl ower, fi ll the planting hole

with water fi rst.

Be prepared to water

initially and you must always

deadhead the fl owers.

Dahlia plants are readily

available at this time of year

and are ideal for sunny