Late Blooming Perennial Suggestions Taken Here:

Hiya quinn, long time no see!

I'm right there with you, a baby gardener asking a ton of questions (and getting some really good answers!)

This is also a specific question I've researched -- I like perennials, and the existing bloom in my yard tends heavily towards spring, while I want some later stuff too.

I really love hydrangeas -- they're late-bloomers, perennial, and like a variety of exposures of sun (see, you can tell I'm new to this, I dunno how to categorize the whole "part sun" or "part shade" or whatever labels).

They also come in a variety of colors, and you can even adjust the colors on several of them by putting stuff in the soil.

I also just planted some toad lilies, I love 'em:



They're late-blooming, perennial, and like shade.

Penstemon comes to mind, several varieties.

Hi ya - glad to see I'm not alone!

I too planted heavy for early & late spring so - ah well. After all that blooming though now I'm thinking - GOSH what am I going to do for the rest of the year..ahahaha.

Those are fabulous!!! I will definately keep my eye out for them - thanks!

ASTERS!

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Hey Q!

dys- kinda like foxglove? I did a quick look - those are nice.
and Asters- I didnt think of - those would go right into fall- yes? Good idea.

Hi K!

Cimifuga Racimosa (snakeroot, bugbane, cohosh). It's native, very hardy, late blooming and pretty. It can be tallish and the flowers are just white. Interesting seed-heads follow. The leaves are generally dark and lacy.



Japanese anemones are late blooming as well. Pink or white, rose-like flowers, low, lobbed leaves.



The tricirtis (toad lily) is wonderful! Naturally it comes in shades of motled pink and purple, but they've been producing mostly white and pale yellows too.

Certain varieties of astilbe bloom late. Mostly they are pink, white or purple, but shades of red are available.



More later!

native - hardy, late blooming - gosh - sounds great!!

I have Anemones!!! I dont know if they're japenese or what but, they are WONDERFUL. Purple and pink like this

http://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/jour/p/07/gw1093307/58849993760020.jpeg

pthbthpbth

Don't get an image, Q. There are lots of anemones, some are blooming now, some bloom before the snow is gone in the cold corners of the yard and some bloom in august or september, even.

Obedient plant is another good tall plant. It's very erect and linear.



Thalictrum (meadow rue) is a lovely plant. I have some in my back yard which are almost as tall as I am. But, they don't have a big footprint. An easy way to get apoof of eye-level lavender flowers without taking up a lot of space. The picture below shows a mature and happy plant. I've never seen such a cluster.......

All these plants I've listed like part shade to full shade.

Also, there are fall blooming bulbs. There are crocus and colchicum here's a link to an article: HGTV

Fall blooming bulbs--great idea to add to my list - while I'm looking I might as well, eh?

I could use some short stuff too but, a plant as tall as me with a small footprint - thats nice.

images..argh.

hope that works or I give up.

For all summer color until hard frost consider any of the everblooming daylilies. They come in different colors and heights these days and some are fragrant. The Appster series is great. These will take full to part sun.
http://www.perennials.com/hea.html
http://www.trophytakerdaylily.com/lookup/main.asp?ap

For part sun the longest blooming hardy geranium is Geranium 'Rozanne'. It blooms from the end of May to hard frost in my daughter's zone 7 garden. It's rated the best of the hardy geraniums. This first pic is a better photo of the color of the flowers.
http://www.parvaplants.co.nz/_GERANIUM_ROSANNE.jpg
http://www.bobna.com/plantlist/geraniumrozanne.asp


We paired 'Rozanne' with the soft yellow Appster daylily Hemerocallis 'Big Time Happy'.
http://www.perennials.com/seeplant.html?item=1.800.170

For a very tall butterfly attractor consdier Eupatorium - Joe Pye Weed, a native. You might be able to find a dwarf variety now.
http://www.superseeds.com/images/738_joe_pye_weed.JPG

There are many sedums from the 2" groundcovers to the taller 24" ones. Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is one of my favorites as it begins to bloom in August in a nice soft shade of pink and then the blooms turn to rust. The flower heads can stay on the plants right through winter and will give color to the fall garden. Easy to propagate so you can have several.

Just coming into bloom:
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/images/sed_autumn_joy_6262.jpg

More early bloom:
http://www.brucezimmerman.com/images/Sedum_Autumn_Joy.jpg

Aging rust color:
http://pss.uvm.edu/pss123/sedum2.jpg

Heathers form lovely clumps and bloom in the fall. Here's some info on them. Click on the pic and do a google to get them in bloom using the names here.
http://pss.uvm.edu/pss123/percallu.html


Helenium, another native blooms late in the season. Click on the pic.
http://pss.uvm.edu/pss123/perhelen.html

Solidago - goldenrod blooms late as well. It's not ragweed. Better pics on the second link. There are several cultivars these days.
http://pss.uvm.edu/pss123/wmsolid.html
http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=Solidago&btnG=Search

You might find this helpful.
http://pss.uvm.edu/pss123/lecplnts.html

There is a lovely native sub-shrub that has light blue flowers in spring with beautiful yellow leaves in fall. Amsonia needs a bit of room and there are several different varieties. I grow mine in part sun.
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/hort/landscape/dbpages/413.html
http://www.waltersgardens.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=38
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/perennials/images/amsonta.htm
http://greatlakegardens.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/00440.jpg

The native Heuchera - coral bells, blooms in spring, but today there are so many colors to the leaves that you can have color until hard frost. One of my favorite combinations of these would be group of Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' with Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' in front of them.
http://www.terranovanurseries.com/wholesale/modules.php...&pa=showpage&pid=346

My favorite Huechera is a purple one called 'Plum Pudding' and I love it in my garden set off by greens.
http://www.eminencemeadows.com/heuchera/heuppu.jpg
http://www.pioneergardens.com/primrose_path_2.htm

Here's a mix of Japanese painted ferns, sedge (the grassy looking stuff), maidenhair fern in the back and a Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' on the right.
http://edonart.jrmhost.com/images/fern_garden_2.jpg

Another mix with a Heuchera in bloom, a green hosta and astilbe on the extreme left with the small leaves and a plume from an astilbe blossom on the extreme right.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-79.html

Here's many, many heucheras to choose from.
http://www.terranovanurseries.com/wholesale/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=346

If you decide to do mailorder hold on to this site to check references and search for highly rated nurseries near you.
http://davesgarden.com/gwd/

That should get you started.
Newt

Newt - THANKS! Lots of information to go over!

Quinn, you are very welcome! Now don't stay up all night reading.

Newt