Chrysanthemums have many benefits - they're versatile, easy to grow, long lasting and colourful. They bring colour to the garden from as early as July right through to as late as December in a mild area. Relatively new and distinctive is Chrysanthemum 'Anastasia Green', which is the perfect plant for a sunny porch, conservatory or greenhouse.
Photography by RHS/Sarah Cuttle
The spiny edged, cone-like flower-heads of Eryngium make a dramatic statement in your garden, especially the electric blue varieties. Great for coastal, Cottage, or gravel gardens as well as cut flowers, eryngiums are especially good for wildlife gardeners as the seedheads are very attractive when left over winter.
Photography by RHS/Sarah Cuttle
Dahlias have enjoyed a great resurgence, and remain one of the best sources of late-summer and autumn colour in any garden. This dazzling display shows the range, form and colour of dahlias from the National Collection. From sizzling singles to stunning cacti-types or pompons, there's a dahlia for every gardener.
Photography by RHS/Sarah Cuttle
Specialists such as Downderry Nursery of Kent have new introductions of late-flowering lavenders that will produce sweetly-scented flowers of rich blue produced on a low, compact plant from July to August.
Photography by RHS/Sarah Cuttle
Violas are easy-care, perfect for containers, baskets or front of borders, and, if you deadhead regularly, will just keep on flowering through to early winter. Cut back at the end of September to encourage fresh growth in the spring. Look out for unusual varieties like Viola perennis 'Rebecca', from Lincoln-based Victorian Violas.
Photography by RHS
New for 2012, Leucanthemum 'Freak!' is on the Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants display, combined with the gorgeous Heuchera 'Obsidian' and Scabiosa 'Chile Black'. 'Freak!' produces large amounts of wild-looking fluffy flowers formed from layers of white petals. In containers it grows just 9in (23cm) high, and flowers from June through to first frosts.
Photography by RHS/Sarah Cuttle