Marigolds. While flowering tends to slow during the hottest days of summer, marigolds stay looking fresh and vital throughout the fall and can be either perennials or annuals. Make sure they get full sunlight, and plant them next to vegetables, as marigolds emit a scent that keeps away pests.
Fortunately, there are many perennials that bloom in late summer, including coneflower, asters, mums, Russian sage, cimicifuga, sedum, rudbeckia, and phlox.
Late summer or early fall is an excellent time to plant mums, one of the symbolic flowers of the season. Practically any time in September that strikes your fancy is a good bet, so long as it's at least six weeks before the year's first frost.
Late summer and early fall, such as September, is the best time to plant chrysanthemums which are hardy perennials that will grow back each and every year with the proper care. Peonies are also perennials, so after you plant them once in September, they'll come back year after year with the proper care.
October is the season to plant spring-blooming bulbs, wildflowers, and many standard gardening favorites. The flowers that don't blossom this winter can spend the cold season in the ground, strengthening their root systems in preparation for a springtime bloom.
Marigolds. These sturdy annuals will keep going strong until the first hard freeze, so add some to fill in sparse containers or to dress up beds that need late season color. Marigolds come in bright yellow, orange and cream so they complement autumn's hues if you plan to decorate later with gourds and pumpkins.
Look for celosia, salvias, coreopsis, rudbeckia and coneflower. For sun containers, popular options are succulents including agave, yucca and kalanchoe.
Although each plant's needs may vary and some will be more winter-hardy than others, in general about a month before the last fall frost is sufficient in giving the plant enough time to establish itself and take root.
Spring-blooming perennials, especially in the bare root form, are best planted early in the fall. Planting in the fall while the soil is still warm will give the roots enough time establish properly. This allows the plants to emerge from well established roots, with a stronger start, the following spring.
Mid- to late-August is often an excellent time to plant fall flowers, as long as the weather isn't still so hot that the plants will suffer heat stress. But don't wait too late to plant, or you'll have a very short window to enjoy your flowers. Check the growing requirements for each plant.
September is a great time to plant those fall flowers. There are many varieties that can be planted this fall to start blooming early spring.
For this Blooming Period, we're highlighting some late summer/fall favorites: callas; China asters; lisianthus; perennial sunflowers; and zinnias.
Vegetables that can be planted in August include leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, collards, kale and mustard. Radishes, turnips, beets and carrots can all be started from seeds in August.
Answer: Late summer (late August to mid-September) is an excellent time to plant many perennials. It is also a good time to move or divide perennials, such as peony, daylily, garden phlox, and oriental poppy.
Gardening in the fall provides a longer period with more 'good' days, as compared to the often tumultuous spring season. Plus, if you plant in fall you'll end up ahead of the game and won't have to rush to get everything done after winter. In fact, a good strategy is to plant perennials when you plant your fall bulbs.
Plant wallflowers, forget-me-not, Bellis, Primula, Viola (including winter pansies) and other spring bedding plants in prepared ground or pots.
Generally speaking, spring-flowering bulbs should be planted in the fall (a few weeks before first frost), while summer-flowering bulbs should be planted in the spring (a few weeks after last frost).