Being that it is now the end of the summer, my gardens are beginning to look a little rough around the edges. Plants are in need of pruning and weeding and, to tell you the truth, I've started to give up on those chores. However, just when I am about to throw in the gardening towel, late blooming perennials make their appearance. Here are some of the plants that show up right in the nick of time, just when I am about to give up. Guess I'll be weeding for a few more weeks!
This Gaillardia or Blanket Flower has been blooming since early summer and is continuing to bloom well into September. The variety I have can be a bit unruly and in about a week or two I will most likely be trimming it down. This is a tried and true perennial, however. It is one of the few flowers in my garden that blooms from summer's beginning to summer's end.
I really love this shrub. It is so airy and delicate and very easy to grow. The bees love it! I have used the branches in floral arrangements when I want a dainty and vintage look.
I think I bought this plant at Home Depot four or five years ago and it's still going strong. It was well worth the small price!
This is another sedum that hasn't changed to the pink/burgundy color yet but, never seems to disappoint. Sedum are very hardy and need very little maintenance, making them the perfect perennial.
Two different varieties of tree hydrangeas
This Gaillardia or Blanket Flower has been blooming since early summer and is continuing to bloom well into September. The variety I have can be a bit unruly and in about a week or two I will most likely be trimming it down. This is a tried and true perennial, however. It is one of the few flowers in my garden that blooms from summer's beginning to summer's end.
Bluebeard Shrub
I think I bought this plant at Home Depot four or five years ago and it's still going strong. It was well worth the small price!
This is a sedum. I'm not sure of the exact variety. It was already in the garden when I moved into this house. In the background is annual gomphrena or globe amaranth. I really like how the two plants compliment each other.
This is another sedum that hasn't changed to the pink/burgundy color yet but, never seems to disappoint. Sedum are very hardy and need very little maintenance, making them the perfect perennial.
Unfortunately, I do not know the name of this perennial. I purchased it at a garden center a few years ago. I have found it needs to be treated similarly to a mum, trimming the tips of the stems off until around the Fourth of July so that the plant doesn't get leggy and bloom too early in the season. I just love the deep blue color!
Garden Phlox is another standby and is a self-sower. It can pop up all over the place but, it is so pretty, who can really care?
Two different varieties of tree hydrangeas
Verbena Bonariensis really shines in August. It takes much of the summer to get itself going, especially if the plants come from reseeding but, once it starts blooming it is colorful and unique. 
This is a rudbeckia that I bought from my local garden center. The colors are so vibrant, I just couldn't resist. And it attracts butterflies! Every fall garden needs some rudbeckia, don't you think?
Of course, there are mums, ornamental cabbages and grasses that can be added to the list. So, if you like to garden, this is good news. Gardening season, even in the Northeast, can be extended into early fall. That certainly is good news.
