Now that August is here, a gardener has urged households to plant one "vibrant" plant in their outdoor space this month as it'll help add colour through the next few months

This plant could completely transform your garden in August. Most of us spend the summer months tending to what we've already got growing in our gardens - watering during dry spells, keeping on top of weeds and picking fruit while at its best. But as August rolls on, it's worth thinking ahead to what comes next.

Autumn is closer than it feels, and once summer's star performers start to fade, gardens can quickly look bare and tired. The good news is that, according to a gardener on social media, one simple addition right now could transform your outdoor space well into October - and beyond.

Echinacea, also known as the coneflower, is the plant that gardening enthusiasts are raving about this month. Bold, beautiful and brilliantly low-maintenance, it's the late-season hero your garden has been waiting for.

TikTok gardener Georgia Featherstone, who documents her journey as a beginner grower online, has been spreading the word about echinaceas - and her followers are already rushing out to buy them.

She said: "Every garden needs one of these, because it flowers right into autumn and gives food to both the bees and the birds. This is echinacea, and it is great for late-season colour because it will take its flowers right into September and even October.

"The reason I love these so much is that in the winter, you don't even have to cut them down. If you let them dry, birds absolutely love them, especially goldfinches, because they'll come and sit on the flowers and pinch out the seeds."

It's not just the colour that makes echinacea such a worthwhile buy. The plant is a magnet for pollinators at a time of year when bees and butterflies are still actively foraging but garden flowers are becoming increasingly scarce. Planting echinacea now means you're not only brightening your borders - you're also giving local wildlife a vital late-season boost.

Georgia also flagged that echinaceas need at least six hours of direct sunlight each day, so a sunny spot is essential. For those gardening in shadier plots, it may not be the right fit. However, for sun-drenched beds and borders, it's close to perfect - particularly because once established, the plant copes remarkably well with dry conditions, making it an ideal choice during the long dry stretches that often trigger hosepipe bans in late summer.

Viewers who caught Georgia's video were quick to share their own enthusiasm. One fan commented: "I've got mine in a pot. They disappear in winter, then you see the green start to appear, then full flowers for late summer. Perfect!"

Another simply wrote: "I've just bought this one today! Yay!"

How to take care of echinacea

To take care of echinacea, you'll need good lighting and well-drained soil. The plant copes in poorer conditions but avoid anywhere prone to waterlogging. Also it's important to keep the soil evenly moist and a light top-dressing of compost in spring is all that is necessary.

You'll then need 2-5cm layer of compost or well-rotten organic matter around the base during this period too. Deadheading is important as removing spent blooms can encourage longer flowering season.

Once you have cut back on some of the stems, every three to five years, you'll need to lift and divided established clumps in spring to keep the plants vigorous.

Don't forget to keep an eye on those pests as slugs and snails are not good around younger plants. Powdery mildew can be a problem in dry, crowded conditions so you should also improve airflow around plants and avoid overhead watering.

And finally, in winter the majority of echinacea varieties are fully hardy in the UK, but they dislike sitting in wet soil over winter. Good drainage is the single most important factor in seeing them through to spring.

Is there a hosepipe ban in my area?

Planting new flowers in your garden might be difficult at the moment, as many areas of the UK are facing hosepipe bans. This means you cannot use your water supply to water your garden, and breaking the rules can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.

According to Water UK, the areas most affected by the hosepipe ban are in the South East of England, including Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Essex, Suffolk, Greater London, and more. There are also bans in place in some parts of Wales, as well as some parts of Devon.

You can find out if your area is affected by visiting your water company's website or on the Water UK website.