How to Avoid the August Garden Lull with these Plants

How to Avoid the August Garden Lull with these Plants

Yes, it starts NOW!

A bit of advanced planning during the late-spring-to-early-summer planting season will help ensure that in August, as the summer garden starts to taper off—especially perennials and flowering shrubs—you’ll still be in the pink (and orange, purple, white, and red).

Here are 16 bloomers that we love and promise will add lots of color, texture, and blooms in late summer. When August rolls around, your only major task outdoors will be to decide on iced tea or lemonade.

VIBE® Ignition Purple Salvia
Zone: 7 – 11

Notably heat and drought tolerant, this petite sage explodes with purple flowers throughout summer. Remove spent flowers to promote continued bloom right into fall. Partial to full sun. Up to 2′ tall and wide.

WHAT TO PLANT!

Strawberry Shakeâ„¢ Hydrangea

Strawberry Shakeâ„¢ Hydrangea
Zone: 4 – 8

Panicle hydrangeas hit their zenith in late summer. This has improved, sturdy stems that support big, full flower heads. Partial shade to full sun. Up to 4′ tall and wide.

Lacey Blue Russian Sage

Lacey Blue Russian Sage
Zone: 4 – 10

Hardy, deer-resistant, heat and drought tolerant with lavender-blue flower sprays on an improved, compact form that does not flop over. Full sun. Up to 18″ tall, 26″ wide.

SmileyZâ„¢ Sunny Black-Eyed Susan

SmileyZâ„¢ Sunny Black-Eyed Susan
Zone: 7 – 9

Black-eyed Susan is a late summer staple. We love this one because of the compact size that’s great for pots. Full sun. Up to 22″ tall, 15″ wide.

Etoile Violette Clematis

Etoile Violette Clematis
Zone: 4 – 9

C. viticella types typically bloom heavily in early summer, nap, and come back in late summer with fresh flowers. Partial to full sun. Up to 12′ tall.

Plumetastic® Pink Muhly Grass

Plumetastic® Pink Muhly Grass
Zone: 7 – 10

Glittering clouds of vivid purple plumes bloom later bringing richer color from late summer to fall. Partial to full sun. Up to 3′ tall and wide; blooms reach 4′ tall.

Red Velvet Yarrow

Red Velvet Yarrow
Zone: 3 – 9

Count on this N. American native to provide deep, rich color in the late summer garden. Keep it tidy by removing spent flower stems. Full sun. Up to 1′ tall, 5′ wide.

Sugartina® Summersweet

Sugartina® Summersweet
Zone: 4 -9

Compact, native, and deer resistant, offers fragrant, pure-white flowers in late summer, attracting butterflies. Partial to full sun. Up 30″ tall, 3′ wide.

SunBelievableâ„¢ Brown Eyed Girl Helianthus

SunBelievable® Brown Eyed Girl Helianthus
Annual, Zone: 11

Keep well fed and deadhead regularly, for loads of colorful blooms well into fall. Full sun. Up to 3′ tall and wide.

 
Petite Snowâ„¢ Butterfly Bush

Petite Snowâ„¢ Butterfly Bush
Zone: 5 – 9

Spectacular late-summer fragrant, snowy-white flowers adored by butterflies. Dwarf form is ideal for smaller gardens. Partial to full sun. Up to 6″ tall, 5′ wide.

Crown of Rays Goldenrod
Zone: 4 – 8 

In addition to late season garden color, is one of the best cut flowers thrillers like tickseed, hydrangeas, and Joe Pye weed. Full sun. Up to 3′ tall, 2′ wide.

Rozanne Cranesbill

Rozanne Cranesbill
Zone: 4 – 10

Sheared in early July (grab a handful and cut leaving about 8″ of growth), rebounds with lovely late-summer blooms. Partial to full sun. Up to 2′ tall and wide.

Wood’s Pink New York Aster

Wood’s Pink New York Aster
Zone: 4 – 8

American native produces daisy-like late summer blooms. Pinch stems back by about one-third in early June for more flowers. Full to partial sun. Up to 16″ tall and wide.

Dwarf Joe Pye Weed

Dwarf Joe Pye Weed
Zone: 4 – 9

Literally stops traffic in late summer when descended upon by clouds of bees looking for a high-calorie meal. Partial shade to partial sun. Up to 4′ tall, 3′ wide.

Arizona Sun Blanket Flower

Arizona Sun Blanket Flower
Zone: 3 – 9

Fiery-red flowers edged with a ring of vivid yellow hold up well under the bright light of direct, overhead summer sun. Full sun. Up to 1′ tall, 2′ wide.

Royal Rembrandt Speedwell

Royal Rembrandt Speedwell
Zone: 4 – 9

Unsung hero of the late summer garden, providing spiky shape and saturated color. Prune in July for really impressive August bloom. Full sun. Up to 20″ tall and wide.

QUESTIONS?

We’re always here to help! If you need a plant suggestion to help solve a design or landscape dilemma or just general gardening help, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. We answer each and every question (and we live for this stuff).

Also, please use this link to find a garden center near you. Your local garden center can be very helpful, especially with local solutions and plant selection advice.

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2019-06-04 01:05:00
Jane Mirocha
Love this site. Very helpful. I use the store locator to find the Monrovia plants near me. The garden centers sales people are surprised about it. Thank you, Jane
reply Reply
Teresa Gomez
Are all these plants mentioned in this article appropriate for our dry southern California weather?
reply Reply
Bill
Ian looking for something to plant along a 75 foot pathway Full sun low maintence winter greenery Variety of plants
reply Reply
Ramona Richardson
My blanket flower in zone 10 in the parking with aloes is growing well in full sun. Was a volunteer from a plant 50 ft away so I kept it.
reply Reply
Georgina Holden
Recommendations for partial shade for late summer needed please.
reply Reply
patti
I have a bobo hydrangea that is 3 years old. It has gotten a little too big for the spot it is planted. Can I prune it back some to reduce its size?
reply Reply
Vera kuhlman
Spent the last hour reading your sight. Finished cleaning up my garden washing out all the plastic pots that my plants came in and noticed that most of them were Monrovia plants. They're thriving even though I just heard that are Colorado weather hasn't been the best this spring and early summer in fact we haven't even hit 90 yet but my flowers are doing well and I appreciate all the comments that you've made and the people that have contributed to this page hopefully I will get notices from you throughout the summer didn't know that I could cut back some of the plants that are in bloom now to get blooms in the lake growing season.
reply Reply
Chris B.
I thought of one for partial shade with late summer blooms Tricyrtis or toad lily.
reply Reply
Amy Barnett
My backyard slopes downward, allowing neighbors to the rear of us to see into our yard. Im looking for a fast growing shrub, preferably flowering, that gets at least 10 to plant against the fence line. Zone 8/9.
reply Reply
Alexandra Cummings
Enjoying this column post regularly. Thank you
reply Reply
Virginia Saunders
Thanks for your wonderful gardening information ?. Love to garden ? Love Monrovia plants too Buy them when I see them ? Keep the information coming?? Thanks ????
reply Reply
Monica Flynn
Thank you so much for the tips, especially for each season. almost everything I buy is from Monrovia. I always have gardening questions and you usually address them in your emails. Did you say we should deadhead our hydrangeas? Will it produce more flowers or is it only for one bloom time?
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