As we progress through August, high summer is far from over for gardeners and homeowners, and the right plants bought now can keep borders, pots and hanging baskets glowing right through to the first frosts. As part of its Make it Bloom campaign, the team at British Garden Centres say now is the perfect time to plant fast-growing, heat-loving varieties that will reward gardeners with weeks of vibrant colour and wildlife appeal. Here are some popular plants that will bring a blaze of colour to your outdoor space now and well into autumn.

Dahlias: These beauties remain the undisputed stars of late summer. Available as young, budded plants throughout August, they range from dinner-plate blooms to dainty pompons in almost every colour imaginable and will keep flowering right up until the first frosts.

Salvias: These pollinator magnet blooms are just as hardworking, with heat-tolerant varieties such as 'Amistad' and 'Hot Lips' flowering continuously into October while drawing in bees from across the garden. They create both height and movement in a border and are vibrant additions to your outdoor space this summer.

Verbena bonariensis: This summer plant is hard to beat, sending up tall, airy purple spikes that butterflies find irresistible. It’s a captivating and versatile perennial, adding a touch of elegance to any garden; it loves full sun, and its open, transparent shape means that it can easily be used at the front, middle or back of the border.

Rudbeckias and heleniums: These bring a warm, prairie-style glow in golds, oranges and rust tones, while crocosmia offers fiery reds and oranges that thrive even in fairly poor soil and pair beautifully with ornamental grasses nearby.

Cosmos: Ideal for pots and containers, cosmos is an easy, cottage-garden favourite, flowering prolifically with very little fuss. A summer favourite, they are easy to grow, incredibly productive, and bursting with delicate, airy blooms and makes great cut flowers too.

Agapanthus: This tall favourite adds architectural interest with its striking blue or white flower heads, suiting both formal and relaxed planting schemes alike. Also known as the African Lilly, these are stunning, summer-flowering perennials with showy flower heads that pollinating insects love.

Trailing petunias: Ideal for giving hanging baskets a late-summer refresh, their cascading habit and continuous flowering make them a reliable choice for containers that need a lift as the season progresses. Just deadhead when flowers are spent to make them last well into autumn.

Bidens: Also excellent for reviving hanging baskets in late summer, Bidens offer bright, star-shaped flowers and a trailing growth habit that pairs well with petunias for extra colour and coverage.

Miscanthus: Another ornamental grass in demand this season, valued for its architectural form and soft, swaying plumes, which add texture and movement and help extend a garden's appeal well into autumn.

Bulbs to plant now for autumn colour

Looking ahead, there are some bulbs you can plant now for a fresh wave of colour once the summer displays begin to fade. Colchicum is one of the most reliable choices, producing large, crocus-like blooms in September and October, while autumn crocus offers a softer, more delicate effect that works well naturalised in grass, tucked into borders or planted beneath shrubs.

Cyclamen hederifolium thrives in shade or dappled light, making it a useful choice for tricky spots, while the smaller cyclamen cilicium suits naturalistic planting schemes. Sternbergia lutea, often known as the autumn daffodil, brings a cheerful splash of yellow to a sunny, well-drained spot, and Nerine bowdenii offers a more elegant finish, with tall stems and pink, lily-like flowers that look especially good in a border or pot.

Summer care

Deadheading spent blooms on dahlias, cosmos and salvias will encourage continued flowering well into autumn, while a weekly feed of high-potash fertiliser will support strong blooms in pots and containers. Mulching borders now will also help retain moisture, suppress weeds and protect tender bulbs and roots as the weather begins to turn, giving gardens the best possible start heading into the colder months ahead.

Julian Palphramand, Head of Plants at British Garden Centres, said: “There's still time to transform a garden before summer's out. Too many people think the planting season ends in May; high summer is one of the best times to plant, because you can see exactly what's thriving in the heat and choose accordingly. A few well-chosen additions now will carry a garden right through to autumn.”