Winter colour

[Blindell]

Hello chaps.
House is shortly going to go on the market. We have cleared the garden and I’ve got an empty bed which gets a good amount of sun and then shade from about 3pm.
The garden really lacks colour and I need something nice for the photos and potential viewings.
What can I plant now that will add some colour to our sea of green? That will continue to look good for the next month or so while hopefully people come and buy our house.
TIA

Dahlias perhaps. You should still be able to find some in flower and with buds on at your local garden centre.

Many Cannas will also still be in flower in October, so you could sink a pot or two of those into your empty bed.

Both will be OK till the first frosts arrive.

@everywhichway thank you - do you think the best thing is to go to a garden centre and just get some things that are colourful now?
I don’t know whether I should wait until nearer the photo date, or get them in now so that they have time to adjust?

Depends on when your photographer will be coming I guess. If it's within the next week or two, it won't really matter if you put them in now - especially if you can find some plants with buds on them as well as flowers.

I always like hebes. They don't need much care and come in a variety of colours. Sarcococca has small flowers but is scented too. That would be good if you don't sell your house immediately as its flowers last throughout most of winter so a lovely waft of scent as viewers go into the garden would be very inviting.

Winter pansies will tolerate frost and still flower and give colour

Dogwoods? Send up colourful new bare shooting branches in yellows and reds, then come into leaf next spring.

Your best bet OP is to go to a good independent garden centre and ask the advice of someone there.

Ideas for immediate colour now and in the coming month or two - skimmia, cyclamen, pansies.

Thank you everyone, this is really helpful.
Do you think it’s worth buying plants online or is it better to go to a garden centre?

Some garden centres are more helpful than others; IME nurseries tend to be better with advice than the huge ones which are as self-service as supermarkets. Online is great if you are looking for very specific or unusual plants and know exactly what you want, but can be expensive. I like Sarah Raven's website for ideas.