August From the Garden – Summer Perennials 

Spring and early summer explode with color from daffodils, tulips, phlox, peonies, hydrangeas, and roses.  Fall is filled with sedum, mums, and beautiful flowing grasses. 

And then there are the dog days of summer when the flowering plants seem far and few between.  These 19 stalwarts of our Zone 5 will bring on a beautiful display from now until—and even into—fall.

An absolute must in my garden is #11 on this list, the Japanese Anemone. It loves shade or sun (not many flowering plants can handle that range!) and the display is breathtaking with well over a hundred blooms bursting on 3’-4’ stems.  The color choices range from white to deep pink, they don’t care for soggy soil conditions and if they are planted in full sun, please provide plenty of mulch to keep the moisture in and watch for wilt during the dog days of August.   You can purchase them at any local nursery and mine are planted near windows so I can enjoy the blooms from inside as well as out. Some wonderful companion plants are hosta, rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan), sedum, asters, and perennial grasses, to name a few.

Have you heard that it is too hard on plants to put them in the ground in mid-summer? 

Maybe because it is too hot, or the soil dries out too quickly or the sun is too strong?  Believe it or not, summer is one of the best times to plant perennials as they will have plenty of time to create deep healthy roots before frost.

A perennial planted in spring needs just as much care and attention during the summer as does one planted in August, so don’t think that planting season has passed you by! 

Nurseries are starting to advertise sales on perennials so it’s a perfect time to scoop some up and add color and depth to your garden.