We’re visiting with Virginia Sherry today.

A lifelong gardener, I am the founder of the nonprofit Native Plant Society of Staten Island (in 2019). As summer draws to a close, I treasure what is still blooming in my landscape. Most but not all of the species are native to eastern North America.

Many people dismiss field thistle (Circium discolor, Zones 3–9) as a weed. While these plants are spiny and not for many gardens, if you have space to let them grow they are wonderful nectar sources for pollinators, and the seeds are enjoyed by birds.

New England aster (Symphyotricum novae–angliae, Zones 4–8) is just beginning to bloom. Asters are one of the great highlights of the late-summer and fall garden and are a wonderful food source for pollinators as they get ready for the winter.

Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba, Zones 4–8) is a beautiful, heavy-flowering plant. Individual plants of this species are perennial but tend to be short-lived. However, they will often self-sow when happy so that you can have blooms in the garden every year.

Though not a U.S. native, super-fragrant Russian sage (Salvia yangii, Zones 4–9) is a favorite of bees, who love its small blue flowers, and of gardeners, who love its beauty and great drought tolerance.

Autumn Joy stonecrop (Sedum telephium ‘Herbstfreude’, Zone 4 – 11) is one of the classic plants for the fall garden. It is durable, easy to grow, and gives a long-lasting display that pollinators adore.

If you want the long flowering period of an annual, but in a spot that gets dry and can’t be irrigated regularly, portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora, annual) is a great choice. The succulent leaves make it thrive where a petunia or impatiens would dry up and die.

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum, Zones 4–8) is a great, long-blooming native perennial. The leaves have a nice scent to them, and it can bloom pretty much all summer into fall, especially if you deadhead it.

Jumpseed (Persicaria virginiana, Zones 4–8) rewards those who take a closer look at the intricate details of the developing seedheads.

Here’s a last hurrah for garden phlox (Phlox paniculata, Zones 4–8), surely one of the most popular native perennials of eastern North America. Every garden needs garden phlox, and the pollinators agree!

 

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to gpod@taunton.com along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

RAINPOINT Sprinkler Timer with Brass Swivel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

- Pure brass water inlet and metal thread can withstand up to 116psi.
- Built-in metal filter gaskets can prevent sediment and other larger particles
- Through the Sprinkler Timer program, you can set the start time, watering duration, and watering frequency

Buy at Amazon

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Doug Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area.

Buy at Amazon

Plant Covers Freeze Protection 10 ft x 30 ft Floating Row Cover 0.9oz/yd²

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Lightweight and Breathable MATERIAL Good for protecting Plant: the plant frost cover material is 0.74 oz/sq non-woven polypropylene fabric, which is lightweight, breathable, and durable. The plant blanket frost protection allows sunlight reach the plants, perfect for protecting plants from the damage of freeze or frost. Wide Application In your Garden Work. The plant row cover not only can work as a barrier against frost, but also can be a great tool for germination and good for rapid seedling growth. By using the fabric plant covers over your plant, you can start the plant earlier in the spring and extending the growing season of your plants. How to Use the Plant Covers: you can cover the plant covers for freeze over your the plants loosely directly and then secure the plant frost blanket with soil, stones or staples. You can also support the floating row covers with a hoop, make enough room for plants to breath and grow. You could also cut the plant covers into different sizes for different purposes.

Buy at Amazon