Today we’re in Rotterdam, New York, visiting with Maxine Brisport.

Each year I gaze in wonderment of the beauty that graces my upstate New York garden—from the brilliant yellow of the gold forsythia shrub that tells me that spring has arrived, to the beauty of the white-and-pink anemone signaling that fall is looming. Now I am preparing myself to bid goodbye to another year of glorious blooms, with the satisfaction that I nurtured each plant as it battled one of the hottest summers, while feeding the bees and butterflies.

Although the brilliant blooms are fading, the joy of knowing that they will return next year creates an endless smile.

Snow-on-the-mountain (Euphorbia marginata, annual) is a widespread North American native. The small white flowers are not very noticeable, but the white-edged bracts that surround them make quite a beautiful show.

The late summer garden is beautiful, with so much diversity of color and texture from a wide range of perennials.

That’s a gorgeous shade of blue. This type of hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus, Zones 5–9) is a shrub that blooms heavily from mid to late summer.

A dahlia (Dahlia variabilis, Zones 8–10 or as a tender bulb) blooms just opening. Dahlias always seem to reach peak flower right at the end of summer.

Could this unfurling rosebud be any more perfect? Often the cooler temperatures of early fall allow roses to show off their very best.

I love the diversity of this garden. Tall Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium sp., Zones 4–9) blooms in the back, with clouds of black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida, Zones 3–9) flowering away in front. A bold orange canna (Canna hybrid, Zones 8–10 or as a tender bulb) provides a contrast in texture in the center.

A closer look highlights the contrasting textures and colors of foliage and flowers.

An inviting path is flanked by hostas and black-eyed Susans.

A couple of feathered friends enjoy a bath.

This Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Zones 3–9) is living up to its name with masses of pink flowers that pollinators love and will transform into brown seed heads that will look good all winter.

We’ll be back tomorrow to see more of Maxine’s beautiful garden.

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