We have no blooms left in our part shade garden 4B zone. Amended clay soil. We need some perennials that bloom in August. Can you help?
When looking for a perennial that is blooming in August, you can look at long-blooming perennials that bloom for many weeks extending into August. In addition, some perennials will bloom a second time when deadheaded after the initial bloom period. For example, some daylilies (e.g. Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’).
For perennials that bloom in the mid- to late summer time period, in zone 4b, for sun/part shade, try boltonia, plantain lily (Hosta), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Stonecrop (Sedum), obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana), gooseneck loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides), cornflower (Centaurea), coreopsis, daylily (Hemerocallis), coralbells (Heuchera), garden lilies (Lilium), balloonflower (Platycodon).
In The Well-Designed Mixed Garden book, by Tracy DiSabato-Aust, Appendix B, “Plants by Design Characteristics” contains a good list of trees, shrubs, and perennials, their hardiness zone, and most importantly their flowering months. The list of perennials that start blooming in August, for sun/part shade, in zone 4b, is plentiful. Based on this book, you could also add to your garden the following perennials:
Actaea racemosa
Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea ‘Skyracer’ (a perennial grass)
Phlox paniculata
Rudbeckia maxima
Sanguisorba tenuifolia ‘Purpurea’
Sedum spectabile
Sedum telephium Atropurpureum Group
Solidago
Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’
These are just a few of the perennial flowers that can add seasonal interest to your flower garden. Good luck adding additional bloom to your August garden!
The following website provides additional information:
https://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/
You may also like to review the following Gardening Guides: Perennials for Shade in Dry or moist Areas and Long Blooming Perennials
Some reference books on perennials:
The Harrowsmith Perennial Garden, by Patrick Lima
High Performance Perennials, by Judith Adam
