Keeping the drama

Late summer perennials are all very well, but I find that focusing on all-season foliage and sturdy annuals is what really gets me through August and September. Even so, I have been getting better at planning some late summer action in the perennial line.

Here’s what I am excited about.


Gentian! These are very interesting plants. I am hoping their pretty blue capsules will hang on until the nearby dwarf plumbago (ceratostigma) produces its star-shaped flowers.


Sweet Autumn Clematis! I lost this when we put in the pond, but I planted some around a side trellis and it is doing splendidly. It’s also better placed here, where it provides much-needed scent and blooms in a prominent location.


Weeds! I love fall weeds. I have a statuesque pokeweed maturing in the front and some seeded wild asters—could be the fleabane or bushy types.

Otherwise, I give high marks to the heliopsis, which has been going strong for 2 months and all my lovely colocasia, some of which are finally showing their variegations. This slowness to display variegation is my only complaint.

But I’ll have many more when the garden really starts to go downhill. But by then I’ll be potting up bulbs and won’t care too much.