I hate to say it, or admit it I guess, but we are headed towards that time: the twilight of the summer season. The sun is a little lower than it was the night before, the back-to-school sales have kicked into high gear and whenever you ask someone “How is your summer going?”, the typical reply is “It’s just gone by so fast!”

Don’t dismay though, the calendar says summer isn’t over until September 22^nd this year. There is still plenty to enjoy. Many of us in the northeast are still in the pool and picnicking well past Labor Day. And luckily there are plenty of perennials to brighten up those (somewhat shorter) days.

If you are looking for lots of color and fragrance in August and September… and maybe even October, but you don’t have these in your yard, head to your nearest nursery and tell them you are looking for some late summer perennials.

Here are some that are pretty, and relatively easy to find:

Asters

Chrysanthemums (Also known as Mums)

Coneflowers

Phlox

Zinnia