Garden Bloggers' Blooms Day & Foliage Follow-Up August: Welcome Late Summer Blooms!

Welcome!

Welcome to my zone 7b Long Island garden! As summer passes by quickly, the month of August brings both an abundance of heat and blooms. With some days in the 90’s, thunderstorms arrive in the evening hours and bring some needed rain to the garden. Late bloomers such as Crape Myrtle, hydrangea, allium and  balloon flower (to name a few) bring color to the landscape. Join me for a tour of my late summer garden!

Hydrangea 'Firelight Tidbit'

The first stop is along the entry to the backyard as you pass through the gate. This newly transformed garden has stolen my heart as it was once my mom's iris garden which had finally run its course after some forty years. I planted these Hydrangea 'Firelight Tidbit' as a tribute to her and they have grown and become even more beautiful over the past three years. As fall arrives, the once white blooms will take on a pinkish hue.

Hydrangea 'Limelight Prime'

Also in the back portion of the property is another late summer blooming hydrangea, Hydrangea 'Limelight Prime', which brings beautiful white blooms to give contract against the deep green foliage of the Compacta Hinoki Cypress behind it, Mugo Pine to the right and Variegated Weigela 'My Monet' to the left.

Patio Surround

Along the patio border is Trombly's Red Sentinel Japanese Maple, Ableia 'Kaliedoscope' (blooms late August-September), Spirea 'Candy Corn', Echinacea and a rarely seen variety of Balloon Flower known as Platycodon grandiflorus 'Komachi' whose flowers never open up, but rather remain as uninflated puffed up balloons!

Platycodon 'Komachi' (Balloon Flower)
Here are the blooms up close, and yes...it lives up to its name!

Crape Myrtle 'Sioux'

On an island bed on the southern side of the property is Crape Myrtle 'Sioux', which started blooming about two weeks earlier this year, along with Compact Hinoki Cypress (to the left), Mugo Pine (front) and Juniperus 'Gold Lace' in the backdrop. The hydrangeas along the fence-line are completing their bloom for the season.

Buddleia 'Pugster Blue'

On the opposite side of the raised island bed is Buddleia 'Pugster Blue', a dwarf non-invasive hybrid of Butterfly Bush with large, deep purple blooms.

Spirea 'Candy Corn' and Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry'

Bordering the patio is Spirea 'Candy Corn' with a second mini round of blooms and in the foreground is Echinacea. 

Southern Border Garden-Secret Garden

Leaving the southern secret garden presents a different view, from before. Crape Myrtle 'Sioux' can be seen in the distance, with Allium 'Millennium' in the foreground. I love seeing these wonderful lavender blooms in late summer. The bumblebees love them too!

Allium' Millennium'
Here is a close-up of a very happy visitor!

Northern Border

Here along the northern portion of the property is a garden statue of a boy reading a book along with Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar and Heuchera (Coral Bells) 'Caramel'...

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'

and along the pool border, Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' continues to bloom. An American Goldfinch visitor has been enjoying the seeds on a daily basis!

Patio Border

A dwarf form of Sedum growing to only 10-12 inches in height is Sedum 'Pure Joy'. Along the patio, it is starting to show its late summer blooms.

Back Northern Border 

Along the northern fence-line, Kousa Dogwood is joined by Hosta 'Patriot', Rudbeckia 'Little Goldstar',  Gold Lace Juniper (to the right) and Endless Summer Hydrangea to the left.

Rudbeckia 'Little GoldStar' (Dwarf Black Eyed Susan)

I enjoy how this cultivar of Rudbeckia is dwarf, more compact and does not spread everywhere.

Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake'

Summer is winding down, so Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake' is pushing out another round of its white star-like blooms resembling snowflakes...

Pool Border

and the Golden Pacific Juniper which I planted a few years ago seems to be very happy as it trails down the moss rock waterfall. The Juniper is joined by a mature Weeping Norway Spruce and Upright Variegated Boxwood.

Back Shade-Secret Garden

As we approach the end of the tour, a bluestone path leads to the back northern secret shade garden where another Weeping Norway Spruce is joined by 'Caramel' Coral Bells, Pulmonaria, Jacob's Ladder, Cherry Laurel and Variegated Boxwood. At the very end is a miniature bird bath which is visible around the corner bend.

Thanks for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my August garden. I so appreciate you being here, look forward to your comments and enjoy seeing what you have growing in your garden. Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who had hosted Foliage Follow-Up, a meme I will continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden.

Connect With Me 🌼

It's time to plan your garden! Visit my Author Page 👈to learn about and purchase my books, each one focusing on different aspects of gardening, including landscape ideas, design principles, gardening by month for all-season interest, gardening tips and maintenance, shade gardening, gardening inspiration and more. And also be sure to check out my newest publication, The Houseplant Guide, to guide you on your houseplant journey! If you have read any of my books and have found them to be useful, reviews are very much appreciated!

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Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

Why Deadheading Coneflower Is Beneficial: And How to Do It While Supporting Wildlife

Deadheading Echinacea (Coneflower)

Welcome to This Month in the Garden! Coneflowers (Echinacea) are beloved in gardens for their vibrant daisy-like blooms, drought tolerance, and value to pollinators. As mid- to late-summer bloomers, they bring long-lasting color to flower beds and naturalized plantings. One common question among gardeners is whether to deadhead these striking flowers. The answer depends on your goals, but when done thoughtfully, deadheading can both extend blooming and benefit wildlife.

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'

What Is Deadheading? Deadheading is the process of removing spent flowers from a plant before they can set seed. In many flowering species, this encourages the plant to put energy into producing new blooms rather than seeds. For perennials like coneflowers, it can result in a longer flowering period and a tidier appearance. 

The Benefits of Deadheading Coneflower: Deadheading encourages more blooms. When you remove fading blooms, the plant often responds by producing additional flowers, extending the colorful display into late summer or even early fall. This also promotes plant health by helping to prevent fungal diseases by improving air circulation around the plant and removing decaying material that could harbor pests. While promoting good health, deadheading also improves garden appearance. Removing brown or dried flower heads can give your garden a neater, more maintained look, especially in formal beds or highly visible areas.

Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry'

The Benefits of Deadheading Coneflower While Supporting Wildlife: Coneflowers are especially valuable to birds like goldfinches, who feast on the seeds of mature flower heads in late summer and fall. If you deadhead all the spent blooms, you may deprive local birds of this important food source. Instead of removing every faded bloom, try a selective deadheading strategy. Deadhead early in the season (July–August) to encourage more flowers. Use clean sharp scissors to remove spent flowers that have faded colors and dried out petals. Deadheading every 5-8 days during the period of peak blooming can help to keep the plant flowering consistently. Avoid cutting into new buds if you want flowers next blooming season. Leave healthy flower buds alone and allow them to develop at their own pace. Some amount of basal foliage and seed heads can also stay. Cutting too much of your coneflowers at once can worsen deadheading results and put your plants at great risk. Stop deadheading by late August so the final round of blooms can go to seed. Leave some spent flowers on the plant throughout fall and winter for seed-eating birds. This approach strikes the perfect balance between aesthetics, extended blooming, and wildlife support.

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'

How to Properly Deadhead Coneflower: Deadheading coneflowers is simple and can be done with garden snips or pruners. Locate the Spent Bloom and look for flowers that are fading, browning, or drying up. Follow the stem down to where it joins a set of leaves or a side bud. Make a clean cut using clean pruners or scissors to cut just above a healthy leaf node or side bud. This encourages new shoots and blooms from that node. If you are removing seed heads early in the season, save them for growing new plants, feeding the birds or compost them. When it becomes later in the season, leave them on the plant for birds. 

Echinacea Pow Wow 'White'

Bonus Tip-Winter Interest: Leaving some seed heads on your coneflowers not only helps birds but also adds texture and visual interest to the winter garden. The spiky, dark cones can look striking against frost or snow. 

I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden and have found the information to be useful. Deadheading coneflowers can be a powerful tool to encourage prolonged blooming and keep your garden looking vibrant. But it’s also an opportunity to support wildlife. By deadheading selectively and removing some blooms while allowing others to go to seed, you create a garden that’s both beautiful and beneficial to birds. Let your garden serve multiple roles, an outdoor haven for you, a buffet for pollinators, and a sanctuary for birds.

Looking for some Garden Inspiration? Check Out My Books:

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9

Landscape Design Combinations  

Dream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener

Gardening by Month: A Monthly Guide to Planning the Northeastern & Mid-Atlantic Garden

Shade Gardening for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

The Houseplant Guide: How to Easily Select & Maintain Indoor Plants

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2025. All rights reserved.