Late-summer STARS

Keep your borders and pots blazing brightly with these long-flowering plants

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The first flush of summer is always a delight in the garden - everything look green, lush, and bursting with blooms. Then, around July, borders, and pots can start looking past their best - flowers are fewer, they fade quickly and, unless you're quick to deadhead, they run to seed. That's when you come to appreciate the late-summer stars – those perennials that just hit their stride when others are flagging. All the plants featured here are easy to grow and give abundant color and structure right up to early autumn.

RED-HOT GLAMOUR

Pelargonium 'Mystery' Conjure up a flavour of the Med with this plant. Keep deadheading and you can expect deep-red blooms all summer long. Team with darkleaved ipomoea 'Black Tone'.

H&S: 40cm

Lobelia cardinalis 'Queen Victoria' Magnificent upright spikes of scarlet blooms make a striking contrast to the beetroot-colored foliage. Thrives in moist soil, such as at the edge of a pond.