Last Hurrah

Late summer bloomersthrive among autumn’sscarlet foliage

Photo by Patricia Taylor
Atlantic Coreopsis (C. tripteris) blooms from late August through mid-October.
Its cheerful, all yellow, daisy-like flowers can be seen blooming along roadsides
throughout central New Jersey.
Boltonia (B. asteroides) usually waits until Labor Day to begin its five-to-six-week
bloom period. This perennial has blue-green foliage that provides a backdrop
to other flowers throughout the growing season.
The elegant pink buds, flowers and seed capsules of hardy bego­nia start their
eight-week color presence in early August. Hardy begonia looks like an angel
wing begonia twin.
The golden yellow flowers of brown-eyed Susan open for more than six weeks,
starting in early August. A biennial cousin of the popular black-eyed Susan,
its leaves are rarely infected with mil­dew.
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By: PATRICIA TAYLOR

   As the garden year winds down and borders show increasing signs
of age and tiredness, it is refreshing to see new flowers open and decorate the
scenery.
   Through trial and error — lots of error, alas — I’ve
assembled a wonderful group of plants that add color and freshness to my late
summer borders. These are all easy care and thrive without any special attention
from me. You may wish to profit from my gardening experiences and add one or more
of these plants to your gardens.
   Four plants contribute yellows, pinks and blues to shaded and
partly shaded areas.
   The cheerful golden yellow flowers of brown-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia
triloba) are the first to appear. They open for more than six weeks, starting
in early August. This 3-to-3 ½-foot biennial cousin of the popular black-eyed
Susan boasts leaves that are rarely infected with mildew. The numerous branches,
jutting out from the sturdy main stem, are dotted with 1-2-inch flowers. Be sure
to leave some of the seed heads in the garden, so that the plant will self sow
over the years.
   The elegant pink buds, flowers and seed capsules of hardy begonia
(B.grandis ssp. evansiana) start their eight week color presence in early August.
Technically a tuber, but generally sold as a perennial because it is hardy to
zone 6, hardy begonia looks like an angel wing begonia twin. Ranging in height
from 2 to 3 feet, its large leaves are undercoated with a soft red and are a colorful
presence in the garden throughout summer months.
   Next to appear, in the quiet of deep shade, are the soft yellow,
2-inch dangling flowers of wax bells (Kirengeshoma palmata). These usually open
in mid-August and hold for almost a month. The maple-like leaves on this 3-4-foot
perennial contrast handsomely with hosta foliages throughout the growing season.
   Hardy ageratum (Eupatorium coelestinum) is covered with blue
flowers that, to a nonscientific eye, are the same as those on the annual ageratum.
The fuzzy swathes of blue, crowning 1-3-foot tall stems, are smashing. They start
a six week or longer bloom period in mid-August, adding elegant coolness to partly
shaded areas. Be warned, however, that this is an aggressive spreader. I resist
yanking it all out in early spring because of its beautiful late summer presence.
   Two whites and a brilliant yellow add pizzazz to my sunny gardens
at this time of year.
   Actually, the gleaming white flowers on the Diana Rose-of-Sharon
(Hibiscus syriacus) start to open in mid-July and continue to do so through September.
These flowers are so consistently cool and beautiful that they never look tired
or worn out. Moreover, they stay open so long each day that they often glow in
warm moonlight.
   This 8-foot shrub, which can easily be trimmed to 4 feet, holds
a coveted Gold Medal Award from The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The award
is only bestowed on plants that are beautiful, low-maintenance, under-utilized,
and hardy in the area between Washington, D.C., and New York City.
   Atlantic Coreopsis (C. tripteris) starts late August and just
keeps blooming away until mid-October. You can often see its cheerful, all yellow
daisy-like flowers blooming along roadsides throughout the Central Jersey area.
   A tough, sturdy, reliable annual, Atlantic coreopsis, is determined
to bloom at this time of year no matter what. Leave it on its own and it will
reach a towering 7 to 9 feet. Cut it down repeatedly — as roadside crews
throughout this area do — and it will flower at a demure 1-foot height. Though
a prolific self seeder, it is very easily yanked out or smothered with mulch if
too numerous. For fresh, easy care yellow flowers in late summer gardens, this
is hard to beat.
   The white, aster-like flowers on Boltonia (B. asteroides) usually
wait until Labor Day to begin their five-to six-week bloom period. This perennial
has nice blue-green foliage that provides a perfect backdrop to other flowers
throughout the growing season. Untouched, it reaches well over 5 feet in full
sun. Unstaked, it can flop under the weight of its abundant flowers. I create
a shorter, bushier plant by cutting back the stems to about 1 foot in late June.
   So where are the chrysanthemums? While you’ll find them
in my late summer gardens, you won’t see them in my borders the rest of the
year. These plants, in my opinion, are too troublesome to grow. They are not only
disease prone but boring until they flower in September. Since pots are so plentiful,
I usually buy several to place on top of faded spring and summer perennials. And
when the chrysanthemums start to lose their petals after three or four weeks,
the pots are easily picked up and discarded.
   As the potted chrysanthemum flowers start to fade, two more
perennials burst into color. Both bloom in October and are thus early fall rather
than late summer flowers. The Pearl, a bugbane (Cimicifuga simplex) cultivar,
is a shade lover. It features slim, 1-foot long pokes of feathery white flowers.
   Bottle gentians (G. saponaria) thrive in well drained, but moist
sunny areas. Its sky blue blossoms, which have shapes similar to miniature footballs,
are a lovely presence at a time of year when scarlet and yellow falling leaves
dominate.