Q: My landscape is boring! It needs color in the summer, especially in July and August. I don’t want annual flowers that have to be replanted. There are summer flower beds with a few roses, but I think there should be taller flowers as well. What other shrubs bloom during this time of year? I think I am in Zone 5.
A: There are several nice late-summer-blooming shrubs for mid-continent to northern areas. There are more blooming shrubs in warmer areas than in the north, such as crepe myrtles, gardenias and oleanders.
Let us start with one that blooms across the country. Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) starts blooming in summer and can continue until the first frost. It has white, purple or pink flowers borne on 4- to 10-inch spikes. They are fragrant and attract butterflies. The foliage is a soft gray-green and the growth rate is fast. The stems can be killed in a normal northern winter, but the plant suckers readily and will come back quickly….