Can you imagine a world where all the plants flowered at the same time? Thankfully, our gardens can be home to such a diverse range of shrubs, annuals and perennials that the flowers are spread across a full 12 months of the year, so there’s always something exciting just coming into bud.
Flowering is triggered by seasonal changes in light and temperature – those species that flower in early autumn are usually responding to a subtle combination of factors such as a reduction in daylight hours, cooler temperatures and increased moisture in the soil. They’re affected by the season that has come before too – for instance, a wet summer can produce lots of lush growth and earlier flowering.
