Late summer is my off time too, and that's where I've been focusing attention lately. I started my first Helenium from seed last year, and it's looking promising- if it proves to be as pretty as I think, I'm going to look into obtaining more varieties. After several attempts, I've finally got a Japanese Anemone growing vigorously; hoping that will provide some nice September color.
A couple of years ago I participated in a Mum co op and picked up a variety of colors and bloom shapes. To my surprise and delight, some of them start blooming in early summer, and just keep going! Have any of you heard of mums that do that? I've got some brick red cushion type mums blooming now, and just yesterday moved several of them to my "salsa garden"- they look great with red and gold Daylilies.
Here in Kentucky, the heat and humidity of late summer along with our tendency to have drought conditions at that time make it tough. So many of the hardy perennials dislike heat and humidity that I often look to tender plants to fill in the gaps, those that perform well in the deep south. I've taken a liking to Coleus and novelty Pelargoniums that I grow in containers the last few years. This year I'm playing around with placing those here and there in the garden where color is lacking.
Hardy Salvias are good late summer bloomers, but not too many of them are hardy to zone 5. I've had great luck with Black and Blue Salvia, reported to be hardy to zone 7, but mine have returned reliably for 5 or 6 years now. They start blooming in late June and keep going strong till frost.
Tall Phlox are a favorite of mine too. Some are budding and starting to bloom now, but they have a long bloom season and give me a good show through July and August typically.
Lucy, I love Sedums throughout the season, but the color they provide from late summer through fall is great! I'd love to see more varieties and colors become available.
Polly, we should definitely compare notes on this thread on what we find to solve that late summer color problem! Most years it gets so hot and unpleasant outside here, that I just focus my attention on the potted plants on the porches, where we'll spend evenings when things have cooled off. I'm still dragging huge Brugmansias in and out every year- the color and fragrance at the end of summer make it worth it. For a few years I was growing quite a few annuals to help fill in the beds, but now that the perennials have filled in I'm not growing many. I'd like to reach a point where perennials are providing a continuous show through fall, as far as the beds are concerned.
