OK. So I know it's been raining for ages and everything is keeling over from being sodden for days. However, if your garden looks dull and colourless after the razzmattazz of summer, it's time you pulled your finger out and jazzed up the autumn flower beds, because we could all do with a bit livening up in this dull weather.
For more ideas on how to keep a steady stream of colour and interesting foliage in your borders throughout the year, try my Border flowers book
Anemone hupehensis 'September Charm'
Has pale pink single flowers and golden centres held on tall upright stems above the deep bushy green leaves
Chocolate cosmos (Cosmos astrosanguineas) Ht. 90cm x 45cm
Luxurious, deep chocolate, maroon-brown velvet flowers
Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca 'Citrina' Ht. 1m x 1m
Pale green pea-like leaves with pale lemon yellow flowers almost non-stop throughout the year, but its particularly unusual colouring in the autumn and winter months, plus it's frenetic flowering make it an all-round winner
Dahlia 'Bishop of LLandaff' Ht. 90cm x 90cm
Opulent deep red flowers with claret-stained foliage
Gaura lindheimerii Ht. 1.2m x 1m
Arching stems with trembling
delicate winged white flowers all the way
to the first frosts
Gentiana x stevenagensis Ht. 10cm x 15cm
Charming, flared trumpets of zure blue with white and dark striped throats sit against deep green narrow leaves; sulks in overcast weather only opening its blooms with the sun. But boy what vivid autumn colour
Heuchera 'Obsidian' Ht. 45cm x 30cm
Dark, almost ebony black-purple rounded polished leaves with claret stems of small airy, creamy white flowers from June to July; but it's the outstanding jet foliage that makes this a must for spring, summer and autumn borders
Phlox paniculata 'David' Ht. 1.2m x 1m
Gorgeous, gloriously scented pure white flowers on upright stems from July to November
Verbena 'Homestead Purple' Ht. 30cm x 60cm
Mine's been in violet-blue flower since late May and will continue to flower generously well into November
Verbena bonariensis Ht. Up to 2m
Self-supporting wiry, sparse stems topped with open sprays of rich purple flowers