Cooler days and nights in mid-September make for much easier gardening while prolonging the beauty of the gardening season. Some of my favourite mid-September blooms this time of year are the cool-season, perennial ornamental grasses. There are so many varieties to choose from these days, but my favourite is still what I call “fireworks,” for obvious reasons. Its real name is Maiden Grass Silberfeder or Miscanthus Sinensis. Whatever you call it, it is gorgeous!

Also included in my mid-September blooms are a repeat of the perennial geranium, the long-lasting roses, and the striking yellow cone flower, pictured below:

This beautiful red hibisus also puts on a show in mid-September….

as does this coleus. I love the way the colours appear to be splattered across the leaves, with no distinct pattern. Like the grasses mentioned above, there are tons of coleus varieties to choose from. I use them frequently in containers, for shady spots. Speaking of containers, all the ones I planted in May are still contributing to my mid-summer blooms in all of my gardens.

With frost in the forecast for a few nights this week, who knows what next week will bring. Hopefully, we have not seen the last of these gorgeous mid-September blooms…….stay tuned!