I always feel the garden seems to lack color towards the end of August and through September ,as if the garden is winding down along with the summer , summer always feels too short as it is, so I have decided to plan to include some perennials that flower later and last into September and hopefully beyond.Here’s a list of a few I have found so far

Helenium (Sneezeweed) Helen’s Flower

Has largish, daisy-like flowers, about 2 to 2 ½” wide,the flowers are flat. and are borne in large heads or clusters. and is available in a variety of autumnal colours, from rich gold to deep red and bronze. The Heleniums are tall growing autumnal plants which are closely related to the Sunflower .The blooming period is from June to the end of September attractive both in the border or as a cut flower, most varieties grow from 2 to 3 feet tall.but some strains can reach 6 feet high

ACONITUM carmichaelii (Monkshood)

Resembles the delphinium’s purple or blue flowers, but blooms at a time when most perennials are through.  Prefers moist soil and resents transplanting.but supplies copious amounts of seed pods that can be sown anywhere though it tends to prefer

partial Shade , growing to 3 ft. tall, is definitely a favorite of mine.

Ceratostigmaplumbaginoides (hardy -plumbago)Another of my personal late-blooming favorites is plumbago also a blue flowering but this attractive plant grows only about 8 to 12” tall, and works well as a ground cover or in the front of a border.  Its glossy green foliage is topped with gentian blue

Flowers from mid August into October, and as the season progresses the foliage takes on red tones—a stunning contrast to the blooms.Plumbago is extremely adaptable, growing equally well in sun or shade, and thriving in a wide range of soil types. Hardy Plumbago is slow to leaf out in the spring so be patient.Zones 5-9

Ligularia (Golden Groundsel) Ligularia dentata

All varieties of ligularia are large plants that do exceptionally well in the bog garden where they get the consistently moist soil that they crave. ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’ (shown in 1st picture below) has glossy leather-like leaves that are chocolate-maroon on top and purple underneath. The golden-orange daisy-like flowers that appear in late summer are very popular with butterflies. Likes partial shade, but will tolerate full sun if given enough moisture.3-4 ft. tall, Partial Shade to Full Sun The thing ligularia hates most is heat though. So I’d plant it out of range of mid-day sun

Also LIGULARIA fisherii

July-Augus Zone: 3

Native to Siberia, Korea, Japan and China. Large rounded basal leaves. A tall raceme to 75cm carries an abundance of yellow flowers spikes. hard to find but easy to grow if you can find it.

EUPATORIUM CHOCOLATE

Is another tall plant also moisture loving and makes a good companion plant for the ligularia growing  3′-5′ – zone 4-8 a white form of joe pye weed .Tall masses of chocolate-purple leaves all summer with shiny deep purple stems and petioles, followed in autumn with huge heads of small white flowers 1 ft. across. A most attractive specimen Likes moist shade, but does fine in the sun if ample moisture is provided.Adds stature to the back of the border without ever needing to be staked. A great perennial and very  attractive to butterflies.

LIATRIS Spicata Kobold :

BLAZING STAR/GAYFEATHER, button Snakeroot

A native American wildflower excellent for border, meadow, or wild garden settings. Spikes of lavender flowers from summer into fall atop narrow ribbon foliage. Drought resistant, good for cut or dried flowers. attracts Hummingbirds ,Lavender flowers on multiple spikes seldom taller than 2 1/2′. Grows in any condition. Low maintenance Blooms:Summer to Fall  Flower Color:Purple Sun-Shade:Full Sun to Mostly Sunny

Muhlenbergia capillaries Pink Muhly Grass Zones: 6, 7, 8, 9

Pink Muhly Grass’s native range reaches from New York to Texas where it lives in dry, gravely open areas and thinly wooded sites, prairies, and savannahs.  Despite its hardy nature, it is a highly ornamental grass for dry places in full sun or light shade. Sage green, glossy, very narrow leaves that are semi erect are topped at 3 feet with masses of bright pink, delicate, flower panicles that create a pink haze above the foliage. Blooming starts in early fall and continues on into late fall, the color changing to beige. Pink Muhly is attractive individually but really makes a big show when used in masses and drifts.

A great looking companion plant to the Muhly grass would be Amsonia hubrichtii Threadleaf Blue Star Zones: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Threadleaf Blue Star has very narrow needle-like leaves 3 to 4 inches long and only a matchstick in width giving a fine and brushy look. The plants grow 3 to 4 feet tall; the flowers are a medium dark steel blue in late spring. It prefers a dry site. Fall color is  deep gold before the plants die back for the winter.

Baltonia

The Boltonias are great plants for adding color to the fall landscape. Related to the Asters, they cover themselves profusely with 3/4 inch daisy -like flowers. ‘Snowbank’ is perhaps the most widely grown kind. It is an improved form of the normally white flowering species, having more and larger flowers. ‘Snowbank’ has blue-green foliage, oblong 5 inch leaves, and strong erect stems growing to 4 feet that seldom need staking. It likes average to moist soil and full sun. ‘Snowbank’ makes a bold addition to the fall garden, and clumps enlarge quickly in good conditions Boltonias are vigorous perennials grown for their sprays of aster-like flowers, which appear above clean, gray-green foliage. Their vigorous nature makes them suitable for naturalizing. They are also great in the border (and for cutting), but will benefit from frequent dividing to keep in bounds, and may be cut back in late spring for more compact plants.

Baltonia Snowbank

‘Pink Beauty’ is a Boltonia (also commonly called false aster) cultivar that is noted for its late summer bloom of pale pink flowers. It is a tall, rhizomatous perennial that grows in a clump to 3-5’ tall. Features linear, lance-shaped, grayish-green leaves (to 5” long) on erect, usually branching stems. Tiny, pale pink, 3/4” daisies (pink rays with yellow center disks) in loose panicles literally cover this aster-like plant with a profuse bloom in August and September.

Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum incanum)Zones: 5, 6, 7, 8

Plants look like their tops have been spray-painted. Upright stems usually 2 to 4 feet tall are topped with hemispherical flower heads with the same configuration as Bee Balm. Flowers are in dense clusters of white suffused with green and pale pink spots. The white coloring extends down from the flowers including stems and leaves for 6 to 12 inches. Plants really do look like they’ve been painted. Mountain Mint will grow in full sun or light shade. It likes dry or moist conditions. Its leaves and stems are also extremely aromatic. Just watering plants in pots will fill a greenhouse with a fresh herbal-mint scent. For that reason you may want to use this plant where you or your pets might brush past it frequently. With its white upper parts on display for the latter third of the growing season, Mountain Mint is a curious plant, something a bit unusual for the woods’ edge or border of a natural area.