Your garden may be in full bloom now, but as the adage goes, nothing lasts forever. Before long, all the bold roses, hydrangeas and dahlias will have faded, leaving beds and borders bare again until next spring.
While winter is inevitable, the good news is you can maximise the time your garden is bursting with life and colour by getting autumn-flowering bulbs into the ground now. When summer concludes, they will push through the ground, bringing a fresh flush of blooms for another few months.
Autumn-flowering bulbs, such as colchicums, autumn crocus and naked ladies, are easy to care for and bring a whole kaleidoscope of colour to your plot when it's most needed. We asked gardeners to share some of their favourite varieties to plant now.
Colchicum/Autumn crocus
Often called autumn crocus, Colchicums produce large, goblet-shaped flowers that appear just as many summer plants are fading. They're also wonderfully low-maintenance, with an unusual growing habit.
"They produce their flowers in late summer, early autumn, whilst their leaves don’t appear until late winter through to late spring, so have double dormancy," explains Lucie Bradley, gardening and greenhouse expert from Easy Garden Irrigation.
"Spreading naturally over time, the parent corm produces new corms, and once the leaves have died back you can divide them up to spread into other areas of your garden or to give to gardening friends."
What to Read Next
For a softer, more delicate look, British Garden Centres' head of plants, Julian Palphramand, recommends the true autumn-flowering crocus (Crocus sativus), which works beautifully in lawns, borders and beneath deciduous shrubs.
Cyclamen
Cyclamen are among the best plants for brightening shady spots, forming attractive carpets of flowers and foliage that return year after year.
"For the more experienced gardener, Cyclamen hederifolium can be planted as dormant, dry tubers in July rather than waiting until later in the year to plant growing plants," says Lucie.
Also known as ivy-leaved cyclamen, Cyclamen hederifolium thrives in shade or dappled shade, while Cyclamen cilicium "is a charming smaller species that suits naturalistic planting," adds Julian.
Plant them now and they'll flower from late August through to November before returning each autumn.
Sternbergia lutea
Also known as the winter or autumn daffodil, Sternbergia lutea produces cheerful golden-yellow flowers that thrive in a sunny, free-draining border.
Plant bulbs around 15cm deep and 10cm apart in late summer for flowers in September and October.
"To ensure abundant flowers, these need maximum sunlight, ideally sheltered from any winds, as these bulbs really need to ‘bake’ through the summer if they are to create pops of deep yellow in your garden in autumn," says Lucie.
"Once in position, these bulbs care for themselves as long as you let their soil remain dry, making them the perfect addition to busy gardens as they naturalise easily, reliably blooming every autumn for decades."
Nerines
With their elegant clusters of ruffled pink flowers, Nerine bowdenii provides one of autumn's most striking displays.
"Nerine bowdenii is hardy and thrives in the UK autumn," Julian says. "They are also ideal for beginner gardeners to grow."
Early summer is the perfect time to get them in the ground. The RHS recommends planting bulbs soon after buying them, around 10cm apart, with the neck of each bulb sitting just above the soil surface.
Mulching with horticultural grit helps improve drainage, and they perform best when not crowded by neighbouring plants.
Amaryllis belladonna
Looking for an even more stunning flower? "For something a little more unusual, amaryllis belladonna can be grown in milder areas or containers for dramatic late summer to autumn flowers," says Julian.
Known as the naked lady lily, this perennial produces fragrant, funnel-shaped pink blooms on tall, leafless stems. Plant the bulbs now in pots or sunny borders, and they'll reward you with an eye-catching display towards the end of summer and into autumn.
Garden decor
Everlight Blooms The Riverlight Kingfisher – Glass‑Winged Bird Resting on a Leafed Stem
Haywards Garden Butterfly Puddler Set
Lily Faith Fox Small Wreath
Staycation Vintage Parasols Powder Parlour-Celadon Veil 1.85m Parasol
Handmade Sussex Large Summer Handmade Dried Flower Wreath - 70cm
A Blackbird Sang Pot Stems - Blackbird feeding family
Wanda Sachs is the Multiplatform Writer for Country Living and House Beautiful, exploring the latest in gardening, wildlife and sustainable living alongside interiors and property. She is particularly interested in human-interest stories, the intersection of design and pop culture, and the evolving relationship between urban and rural life. Previously, she served as Associate Editor at The Berliner in Berlin, where she reported on culture and fashion. Wanda studied English and German at the Goethe University Frankfurt and Exeter University.
