Walking through my garden this week, I’m struck by the sheer abundance. Plants weave together, each one supporting the next, and the whole border has a looseness that feels both vibrant and relaxed. Some stars really stand out right now:

• Sanguisorba officinalis ‘Red Thunder’ sends up airy wands dotted with deep crimson buttons. They dance in the breeze, catching the light and floating above their companions.

• Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ is glowing, its soft yellow flowers standing tall and cheerful, drawing in pollinators from every direction.

• Angelica gigas is magnetic – its rich, dark umbels are buzzing with wasps, bees, and hoverflies, reminding me that August is as much about feeding wildlife as it is about colour.

• Eupatorium ‘Riesenschirm’ towers gracefully, its soft mauve plumes hazy with butterflies. It gives the garden height and presence, while its cousin ‘Snowball’ offers a lighter, frothy effect.

• Cynara cardunculus, with its bold, architectural leaves and sculptural flower heads, is a dramatic foil to the looser textures around it.

Threading through all of this are quieter notes: the long flowering Calamintha nepeta, still producing clouds of tiny white blossoms that hum with bees; the jewel-blue Ceratostigma willmottianum, just beginning to open; and the elegant Thalictrum rochebrunianum, sending up delicate clouds of lilac against the late summer sun.

Together, these plants create a tapestry that feels alive and ever-changing. The beauty of a naturalistic garden is that no single flower dominates for long – instead, you get shifting rhythms, waves of interest, and a sense of harmony between plants and the insects they support.

As the days shorten and the light softens, the garden begins its slow transition toward autumn. But for now, in late August, it’s brimming with colour, energy, and life – a reminder that this is a season of abundance, not decline.