Plants for a ‘hot’ border: autumn and winter interest

James Lawrence, RHS Principal Horticultural Advisor, has designed this simple, attractive, and most importantly, sustainable border design for you to try at home with plants that are easy to grow, widely available and look good together.

This planting design provides a range of plants that, once established, will provide a variety of interest throughout the year.

James Lawrence

Leaf adaptations allow plants to withstand heat and drought well. The hairy foliage of the Helianthemum and the leathery leaves of the Berberis reduce water loss from the foliage.

The Geum and Rudbeckia help provide ground cover and will slow the erosion of bare soil. The ground cover can also help to reduce soil surface moisture evaporation and will suppress weed growth.

Additional organic mulch, preferably homemade compost, can further help with soil moisture retention and weed suppression.

Several of these plants will also attract vital pollinators to your garden, helping to improve biodiversity

The variety of living organisms (plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms) in a particular environment. Boosting the biodiversity of your garden has many benefits, including supporting wildlife, improving soil health and reducing the likelihood of pest and disease problems. .

1 –Cornus sanguinea ‘Magic Flame’ is an upright, deciduous

Deciduous refers to plants (mainly trees and shrubs) that lose their leaves seasonally, usually during autumn. This is a natural process triggered by the season's shorter days and lower temperatures and allows plants to conserve energy during the winter months. shrub to 2m or more tall, with green leaves that turn shades of yellow, orange and red in the autumn. Bare winter stems are coloured orange-yellow with bright red tips.

2 –Spirea japonica 'Golden Princess' is a bushy deciduous shrub with leaves that open reddish-bronze, become rich gold in summer, and turn reddish in autumn. Flattened heads of bright rosy-pink flowers appear in late summer.

3 – Berberis darwinii is a dense, medium-sized evergreen shrub, with sparsely spined, dark glossy green leaves. Clusters of rich orange flowers in spring, tinged red when in bud

A bud is a small, undeveloped shoot that contains the potential for new growth. Buds are typically found on stems, where they can be apical (found at the tip) or axillary (found between leaf axils) and may develop into leaves, shoots or flowers. , are followed by blue-black berries in late summer.

4 –Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamiiis a clump-forming herbaceous perennial

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs. , with black-eyed bright yellow daisies rising above hairy dark green leaves from late summer to mid autumn.

5 – Geum ‘Mrs J. Bradshaw’ is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial, with semi-double, rich scarlet flowers held on wiry stems above hairy dark green leaves in summer.

6 –Helianthemum ‘Fire Dragon’ is a spreading evergreen shrub to 30cm tall, with narrow grey-green leaves. Flowers are bright orange-red, darker in the centre, and are borne in late spring and early summer.

By choosing plants with colour-themed flowers and foliage, you can create a planting scheme that creates a specific feel, in this case, of warmth and vibrancy.

By using plants that are also well suited to the planting situation, the plants tend to be stronger and more naturally resistant to pests and disease. Once the plants are established, this will reduce the need for extra inputs that less well-adapted plants would need, such as excessive water and fertiliser.

By choosing strong-growing plants, mostly with an AGM (Award of Garden Merit) it is possible, even within a narrow colour palette, to keep your border looking attractive all year round. The ones in this design flower at different times of the year and attract a variety of pollinators.

AGM plants tend to be more naturally resistant to pests and disease and, once established, will reduce the need for extra inputs that weaker-growing plants would need, such as excessive water and fertiliser.

A simple planting plan helps to create depth, interest and good coverage in a border.

Using the ethos of ‘right plant, right place’ to create a sustainable planting combination is great for the environment. It helps avoid waste and the use of products and practices needed to try and help ailing plants, such as the application of fertiliser. It also creates robust, long-lived planting that benefits soil health and garden biodiversity

The variety of living organisms (plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms) in a particular environment. Boosting the biodiversity of your garden has many benefits, including supporting wildlife, improving soil health and reducing the likelihood of pest and disease problems. . For more information about sustainable gardening, please see the RHS Sustainability Strategy.