We are leaving summer behind and the approach of fall means we are thinking about the autumn cleanup in preparation for winter. In the meantime we can enjoy the last of the warm weather and enjoy the late blooming perennials. This article by Charlotte Albers which I found on the Houzz website has some great tips for this season.

September is my favorite time of year without a doubt. Gardens everywhere have matured and are spilling out onto sidewalks and over fences, and are generally looking very lush and abundant with eye-popping annuals, textural grasses and herbs. Weekly visits to the farmer’s market are a delight, as there’s just so much to look at and to purchase.
There’s also a lot to do to keep things under control and looking their best. My garden carts are indispensable as I begin the work of cutting back perennials, adding to the compost pile and hauling loads to the back corner of the yard.

Paintbox Garden

Welcome wildlife with flowers. Many wonderful annuals are hitting their peak now, like this sunflower, which has multiple blooms on strong stems.
Aside from making a great cut flower, sunflowers are an important food source for pollinators; their seed heads can be left standing to attract finches and other birds.

Paintbox Garden

Late-blooming perennials, like aster and obedient plant (Physostegia spp), take center stage and lure in migrating monarchs, who move throughout the region on their way to overwinter in Mexico.
New England aster ‘Alma Poetschke’ (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Alma Poetschke’, zones 4 to 8) is a standout.