Audra Lowe: Late summer can be an awkward time for color in the garden, but there’s a lot of perennials that are at their peak at this time. Our garden expert shows us which plants we should add.

Doug Jimerson: I’m Doug Jimerson at Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Late summer can be an awkward time for color in the garden, but there are many plants of varieties that are at their peak when the weather is hot and humid. Plants like this, Joe-pye Weed, look terrific this time of the year.

Joe-pye Weed is a North American native flower that produces purple flowers in late summer. It’s a favorite of butterflies. The top perennials are planted at the back at the border or choose a dwarf variety, they only get three feet tall.

Garlic Chives are wonderful edible ornamental. It will grow in September, have cherry white flowers and you can use their foliage year round as they would regularly thrive. They have a sharp garlicky flavor. The key to Garlic Chives is to remove the flower heads after they fade. Otherwise, they’ll develop seeds and spread throughout your garden.

Asters generally come in pink, purple, blue, or white. They vary from short in compact to taller ranging.

This variety is called New England Aster, and it’s one of our favorites. It can grow up to three to four feet tall as smothering flowers and is a real butterfly favorite. This plant is just about to open.

Sedums are heat and dry resistant perennial. This variety is called ‘Matrona’. Most varieties of Sedum have pinkish or reddish blooms. They are extremely popular with butterflies, bees, and other flying insects. They also look great in the winter or as dried flowers.

Helenium is another North American native flower that blooms in nearly fall. Its common name is Sneeze Weed as it blooms at the height of hay fever season. But don’t worry, that won’t cause hay fever. This variety is called Double Trouble. Most Heleniums are orange or orange yellow, but this variety is bright yellow with double petals. It can get four feet tall so it’s another great back at the border plant.

Rebecca is a flower plant for coloring your garden for mid summer to fall. It’s often best in late summer—Black Eyed Susan is roots on the North American prairie and it comes in many sizes and varieties—resistant and requires full sun.

Flax will bloom in your garden from June until September. Some of the—bloom a little later, it still great for colors to season ends. They’re also very fragrant and the flowers come in white, pink, rose, or lavender.

Roses also put on a great color shell in late summer, groundcover roses in particular. This variety is called flower—they grow about three feet tall and four feet wide.

Late summer is best way to perk up a dried garden. And many of these plants are available now at your garden center. You plant them now, you enjoy them now, and again next year. I’m Doug Jimerson for Better.

Audra Lowe And if you want more advice on enhancing your garden, you can check out this month’s Better Homes and Gardens magazine, lot of information in there.