Autumn is a particularly colourful season in the garden but the flamboyant shades unfortunately do not last long. Soon gardens will go to sleep and we will all, from March, be on the lookout for the first spring blooms... provided we were foresighted enough and planted in time! To enjoy the very first flowers of spring in the garden, here is my selection of 7 early perennial plants to plant in autumn.

Brunnera Diane's Gold

This perennial Siberian bugloss is a real gem for shady, cool areas of the garden. It bears heart-shaped foliage, chartreuse green that retains its pretty golden tones from spring through to the frosts. From April to June, it is adorned with a cloud of small, delicate bright-blue flowers. Easy to grow, it only needs soil that stays cool to spread and form a luminous carpet. In the garden it establishes easily under trees, at the base of hedges or as an edging for beds where it will add an elegant touch.

Brunnera macrophylla Diane's Gold - Siberian bugloss

Pachyphragma macrophylla

This perennial is probably the first to flower: from March it produces a multitude of charming small white flowers. It is a hardy plant that also has the advantage of establishing quickly and spreading gradually, without being overly invasive. In shade or partial shade and in rich, even heavy, soil, it forms attractive, persistent carpets studded with white in early spring. Charming with spring bulbs, with bleeding hearts or with Hostas, this woodland plant is also ideal for dressing neglected spots in the garden.

Pachyphragma macrophyllum

Disporopsis pernyi

If you like Solomon's seal, you will love this woodland perennial! Perfect for dry shade, from April to May it bears charming flower spikes bearing small cream-white bell-shaped flowers tinged with green. Growth is fairly slow, but once established it forms such a dense carpet that it can rival weeds. In the garden it will find a place under trees, with epimediums for example, on a bank or in a shaded rockery.

Disporopsis pernyi

Bergenia Dragonfly Angel Kiss

Bergenias need no introduction, so well known are they for their toughness! Nevertheless, this variety deserves attention: compact and very floriferous, it displays remarkable evergreen foliage: dark green that flushes red in winter. In spring, in April–May, it is topped by pale pink, semi-double flowers which create a very attractive display. Very easy to grow and hardy, this bergenia can be planted in pots on a terrace or balcony as well as in the garden.

Bergenia Dragonfly Angel Kiss

Comfrey Sky Blue Pink

And no, comfrey is not only used to make manures and decoctions! It is also a vigorous groundcover perennial that can be very ornamental. The 'Sky Blue Pink' variety is proof of that. From April to June it bears white and blue flowers washed with pink above evergreen foliage. Almost indestructible, this plant withstands difficult conditions and grows very well in dry shade.

Large-flowered comfrey - Symphytum Sky Blue Pink

Epimedium Sphinx Twinkler

With exquisitely delicate flowers and colourful foliage, this epimedium—or Warley bishop's hat—has everything to please. Rhizomatous and spreading, it makes an excellent evergreen groundcover for shade and partial shade. In spring, in April–May, it unfurls delicate sulphur-yellow flowers suspended on slender stems. It's a delight, but don't be fooled by appearances: it is indeed a robust plant that coexists perfectly with tree and shrub roots.

Warley bishop's hat - Epimedium Sphinx Twinkler

Ajuga Chocolate Chip

A devilishly effective groundcover, this creeping bugle produces small narrow chocolate-coloured leaves from spring to winter. In May–June short spikes of intense lavender-blue rise, striking in appearance. It is planted in partial shade in fairly cool soil and shows good resilience. This ajuga is ornamental, but can be very useful for replacing lawn on small areas or for filling large gaps in paving.

Creeping bugle - Ajuga tenorii Chocolate Chip (Valfredda)