If you want your garden to be the envy of all your neighbours next spring, you need to start now. It may seem backward to begin planting as the weather gets cooler, but autumn is the perfect time to invest in your space.

Not all plants will benefit from being planted at this time however. Instead, there are seven beautiful flowering plants you can put in the ground now, and wait for the beautiful blooms to show next year.  TheSpruce.com recommends planting these flowers now for springtime colour.

Catmint

This long-blooming, hardy and low-maintenance plant is popular with gardeners. Catmint has light green foliage and blooms with clusters of tiny purple flowers. It likes to be grown in full sun with well-draining soil.

Daylily

This beautiful perennial is tough and flowers beautifully. They enjoy sun or part shade and need around an inch of water weekly. 

Coreopsis

With their charming, brightly coloured flowers, coreopsis is a popular choice. They like full sun and well drained soil and need very little care. They don’t require deadheading, and once established can survive on less watering. 

Veronica

These flowers are a striking addition to any garden with their rich purple flowers and paintbrush shape. Although it does require deadheading to produce more blooms, once established, Veronica can thrive on a weekly water. 

Iris

These popular purple and yellow flowers love to be planted or replanted in the autumn ready for spring. When planting irises, always leave the top of the bulb exposed and make sure they have partial to full sun. 

Coneflower

Hardy and beautiful, coneflowers bring a stunning splash of colour to any garden. They come in many varieties, perfect for picking which colours you want to highlight. 

Coneflower requires full sun and once bloomed will attract pollinators to your garden. 

Salvia

Salvia blooms early in the spring, bringing the first burst of colour to your garden. If planted in full sun and well drained soil it will flourish beautifully. If you cut it back once flowered, it will re-bloom again later in the summer for another show of colour.