If you are interested in having nice flowers or just some fresh food for the fall and winter, there are plants that will produce very well if planted in the late summer. My grandmother always had a full garden and blooming flowers year round and that comes with years of having the greenest thumb in town. What was her secret? In late July and August, she only planted the kinds of plants that would thrive in the cold temperatures of fall and winter. Of course, doing this will require special care on your part to keep them warm and pest free, but it will be well worth all the hard work when you have a fine harvest to get you through the winter. Here are some great late summer plants to add to your garden.
Fall Vegetables
My grandmother had a way of growing collard greens from the same plant year after year. She was that good. So I make it a point to plant collards, cabbage, broccoli, peas, spinach, green onions, and garlic in my garden. Other great vegetables to plant are sweet potatoes, pumpkins, Kale, radishes, sweet corn, eggplant, okra, peppers, tomatoes, and watermelon. Some of these will require extra protection for the winter, so know what your specific vegetable’s requirements are.
Flowers
It is so nice to have some blooming flowers year ’round and if you time it right, you could have a continues array of flowers all the time. The list of flowers to plant in late summer includes Butterfly Bush, Joe Pye Weed, Annise Hyssop, Rose of Sharon, New York Aster, and Whirling Butterflies. There will be a multitude of color as well as butterflies in your yard with many of these flowers. Some will grow tall and will need lots of sun and room to grow, so if you have a big yard with ugly brown grass these would be great for your ground décor.
Spring is usually the best time to plant these types of flowers but late summer will work too. It is up to you and how well you care for your flowers. Some people will plant in pots and move the flowers in and out of shelter depending on the weather. My grandmother had a special room for all of her potted plants that she would move inside for the winter and then move them back outside if the weather was good. Her same potted plants have lasted for over 10 to 20 years and longer all because of her persistent care for them.
What are some late summer plants you’re going to add to your garden?
