If your garden is starting to look a little tired by September, dahlias are one of the loveliest plants you can add for an injection of late-season colour. They really come into their own just as many earlier flowers are beginning to fade, continuing to bloom well into autumn if you keep on top of picking. Dahlias are cut-and-come-again, meaning that the more you pick them, the more they bloom! This means that dahlias are just perfect for a cut-flower garden, as there is no need to feel guilty for cutting the stems to bring them into the house.

Another reason I love dahlias is that there are endless varieties to choose from, and you can get dahlias in almost any colour. I love to choose dahlias in a richer colour palette, going for deep oranges, reds and pinks that suit this time of year when I’m starting to get bored of more pastel shades. Buying dahlias now while they’re in flower is also a wonderful opportunity to see the exact colour, shape and size you’re introducing into your garden rather than relying solely on a plant label.

Hydrangeas are another plant I particularly like shopping for at this time of year because you can see exactly what you’re getting. When they’re covered in flowers, it’s so much easier to choose the shades and flower forms that will complement the rest of your planting. If you choose a hardy hydrangea and plant it while the soil is still warm, it has time to begin establishing its roots before winter and will be in a much better position to put on a beautiful display next year.

Think carefully about the hydrangeas’ eventual size when choosing a spot, as hydrangeas can become pretty substantial shrubs and are therefore wonderful for adding structure and generous swathes of colour to a border. Many varieties also continue to look beautiful even as the flowers fade, giving the garden interest well into autumn.

Salvias are brilliant for plugging those little gaps that become particularly noticeable towards the end of summer. At this time of year, flowers that have been in full bloom for a little while will often be on sale in garden centres, which can save you some money and also means you can see exactly which colours and varieties work with your existing planting before committing.

Look for hardy salvia varieties suited to your garden and conditions. Our absolute favourite variety is Salvia Caradonna as it flowers continuously from June to October, giving you amazing bang for your buck.

Japanese anemones are one of my favourite plants for that tricky late-summer period when lots of earlier perennials have finished flowering. Anemone flowers appear on tall, delicate stems and bring movement and softness to a border at a time when it can really need it. Anemone Honorine Jobert is my particular favourite, and they work beautifully towards the back of a border due to their height. They can also be used to brighten up a shady corner, as anemones will tolerate partial shade.

Do bear in mind that Japanese anemones can spread quite a bit once they’ve settled in, so give them somewhere they’re able to establish and naturalise rather than squeezing them into a tiny space.

Early autumn is such a useful time to identify the roses you might want to add to your garden. By now, you can see which varieties are still producing beautiful flowers rather than choosing purely based on how spectacular they looked during their first flush in June. If you find a variety you love, you could plant a container-grown rose while conditions are suitable, or simply make a note of its name and order it as a bare-root rose to plant during the dormant season. The benefit of this is that bare-root roses are often significantly more affordable than potted roses, which is particularly important if you plan to plant an entire rose border or rose garden.

I favour repeat-flowering varieties such as David Austin roses because they earn their place in the garden for such a long period. With regular deadheading and good care, many will flower in several flushes from early summer into autumn, making them a wonderful choice if you’re trying to create a garden that feels abundant for as much of the year as possible.