Some colour inspiration for your garden's borders

This summer, it's fair to say, has been unexpectedly hot by the standard of British summers, and even as we enter September, things are still looking pretty good for most gardeners. However, there's no denying that bar an 'Indian Summer', now is really the time for many of our seeds customers here at Seeds By Post (http://www.seedsbypost.co.uk) to begin preparing for next year. Your flowers may have looked red hot and vibrant this year, but there's no guarantee of that being the case every summer... so what can you do to keep your borders looking suitably fiery?

You might think that the best way to create a stunning design is to cram in all manner of reds, yellows and oranges together, but actually, it can be quite dull - or even overwhelming - to have so many similar shades side by side. After all, even an actual fire has bright whites and dark colours, and even some flickers of blue, violet and green, accompanying the predictable reds, oranges and yellows. It is the canny use of contrast that will truly enliven your borders, so you should buy seeds online accordingly.

Great ideas for hotter flower colours include Rudbeckias, Heleniums, Hemerocallis and yellow Achilleas, each of which emit a definite warm glow. Another fine choice for your border is Crocosmia - look for names like 'Spitfire', 'Emberglow' and 'Lucifer'. That's because these flowers not only offer a dramatic colour, but also have thin, sword-shaped leaves that glow themselves when the late summer sunlight is behind them. This is especially the case for Crocosmia 'Solfaterre', with its combination of flowers in sulphur yellow and bronzed leaves.

Perfect for complementing the warmer colours in your border are the likes of purple leaved Hazel, Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diabolo' and dark leaved Sambucus. But applying a bit more imagination to the task might lead you to choose the smoke bush or Cotinus coggygria, with the leaves of 'Flame' living up to their name by becoming fiery red at this time of year, while the purples, plums and greens evident in the leaves of 'Grace' make it another intriguing option for those on the lookout for flower seeds. Bring out the light against the dark by opting for grasses with tawny coloured seed heads.

The colour blue also has a key role in giving your border genuine depth, given that it is on the opposite side of the colour wheel to hot colours. Therefore, the intelligent use of blue plants like Agastache 'Liquorice Blue' or Perovskia 'Blue Spire' can make those warmer-coloured flowers seem all the more intense. It all helps you to develop the ultimate fiery border - and rest assured that Seeds By Post (http://www.seedsbypost.co.uk) will always have the mail order seeds for the task. Incorporate some trees and shrubs with leaves that take on a suitably impressive shade in the autumn, and you won't even need to wait under the summer for your garden to look and feel warm and vibrant.

Editor’s Note: Seeds By Post (http://www.seedsbypost.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.