What to Plant Now for a Garden That Peaks in August - 8 Plants to Get in the Ground This May, While the Conditions Are Ideal
Low-effort plants for peak late-summer color
May is one of the most important months in the gardening calendar. It's the point where soil is warm enough for strong root growth, but conditions are still mild enough for plants to establish without stress. This makes it the ideal time to lay the groundwork for a high-impact late summer display.
When you plant in May, you're catching that sweet spot before the heat intensifies. By mid-summer, they're settled, which means by August you can sit back, relax, and enjoy a garden that's in peak bloom - one that not only looks spectacular but smells wonderful too.
What to Plant Now for an August Garden - 8 Expert-Approved Picks
Whether you're filling borders, containers, or cutting gardens, these eight plants deliver that late-summer payoff, providing you lay the groundwork now. From prairie-style perennials to fast-growing annuals, each one is chosen for its ability to peak in August with minimal effort.
1. Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia - commonly known as black-eyed Susan - is one of the most reliable late summer flowers, bringing warm golden tones to borders just as earlier blooms start to fade. Flowering strongly throughout August, it creates that classic seasonal glow that lifts the whole garden.
'Black-eyed Susans are dependable, summer perennials with tall, sturdy stems that are ideal for a home cutting garden,' explains Darren Barshaw of Darwin Perennials. 'The flowers are attractive to butterflies yet resistant to deer. They grow in low-water conditions and need little maintenance when they come into bloom in late summer.'
Plant rudbeckias in May, and by August, they form a resilient, high-impact display that holds its shape with minimal fuss.
Buy varieties, such as these Little Suzy Black-Eyed Susan seeds, from Nature Hills.
Darren Barshaw works with Darwin Perennials. He is based out of Michigan with a thorough background in helping nursery growers make top-performing perennial choices for their greenhouses.
2. Zinnia
For fast, reliable color, zinnias are hard to beat. They can be sown directly into warm soil in May, for a strong late-summer display that continues into the fall season.
'Modern varieties of zinnias, such as the Zesty series, have extraordinary garden appeal with their fully double flowers and excellent garden vigor,' says Steven Engel, of PanAmerican Seed.
When it comes to flower bed ideas, zinnias are a firm favorite for good reason. Not only are they excellent at attracting pollinators - they'll draw in plenty of bees and butterflies in August - they're ideal for filling gaps in borders or refreshing containers.
Shop zinnia seeds at Amazon.
Steven Engel is a horticultural specialist at PanAmerican Seed. Based in Texas, he tracks performance and trends across US horticulture, and provides recommendations for plants that thrive in dry climates with high light.
3. Sneezeweed
Perfect for that late-season color boost, heleniums deliver rich tones of burnt orange, red, and gold that peak in August. They refresh patio beds and gardens right when you need them most, which is what makes them one of the best fall-flowering perennials.
'They’re tolerant of drought and heat, which is important because they come into bloom in late summer,' explains Darren Barshaw.
These compact plants stay tidy in the border and play well with ornamental grasses and other prairie-style perennials. Plant them in May, and they'll be ready to steal the show in August when you're hosting on the patio.
Shop helenium plants at Nature Hills.
4. Coneflower
Coneflower, or echinacea as it's also known, is a cornerstone of late-summer planting. It flowers steadily through the season and often produces a second flush as August arrives. Its bold, daisy-like blooms add structure and color, making it one of the best perennials out there.
There are so many varieties of coneflower to choose from to elevate your flower bed display. As Darren explains: 'Modern breeding has made coneflowers much more saturated in hues to create a beautiful prairie-style garden design that blooms well in late summer and attracts beneficial insects and feeds songbirds.'
Plant them in May, and by August they'll be supporting butterflies by day and you'll see goldfinches pulling seeds by late summer.
Shop coneflower varieties, such as this Cheyenne Spirit Echinacea, at Fast Growing Trees.
5. Sedum
Sedum earns its place in an August garden through reliability alone. Incredibly easy to grow, sedums begin as fleshy green foliage, before shifting to pink or raspberry-toned blooms in late summer.
'A May planting allows sedums to plump up and store energy while the soil is still manageable,' says Madison House, plant expert at Bloomin' Easy Plants. 'By August, it’s basically bulletproof - you don’t even have to think about it. They're also another pollinator magnet as other plants start to fade.'
Plant them along path edges or in gravel gardens, where you can appreciate the succulent texture up close.
Shop sedum plants at Nature Hills.
With a focus on creative storytelling, digital tools, and consumer-friendly plant education, Madison works to connect people with easy-care shrubs and perennials that build confidence in the garden. Her passion is helping new gardeners fall in love with plants—one bloom at a time.
6. Sunflower
Few plants capture the spirit of late summer like sunflowers. Perfect for home cutting gardens, sunflower seeds can be direct sown in warm, spring soil in May, and you'll reap the benefits in August.
'Late-summer sunflowers are truly a welcoming sight,' says Steven Engel. 'Some modern varieties are bred to be pollen-free, so when they're cut and brought inside, they won't make a powdery mess. They also last longer in the garden than traditional sunflower types.'
The tall stems make a statement in borders, and create that classic sunny-day garden mood exactly when you want to be entertaining outdoors.
Shop sunflower seeds at Burpee.
7. Veronica
This striking perennial adds elegant vertical interest to borders with its slender spikes. If you're wondering when the best time to grow veronica is, you can plant in spring, as it establishes quickly and continues flowering into August.
'Veronica continuously blooms on colorful spikes of pink, blue, and lilac,' says Darren Barshaw. 'It has a high flower count, which means more bees and butterflies to attract. It also has amazing durability.'
The upright flower spikes make it one of the best tall perennial flowers, and it provides a lovely contrast to purple coneflowers in the border. Its vibrant color also lasts all the way to frost.
Shop veronica plants at Nature Hills.
8. Hydrangea
A common misconception is that hydrangeas bloom in June and fade by August, when in reality it's dependent on whether it flowers on old or new wood. Panicle hydrangeas, for example, bloom on new wood, which means that all May-August growth goes straight into building strong branches loaded with late-summer flowers.
'New wood flowering hydrangeas get covered in dense, frothy white blooms that look so refreshing in the heat,' says Madison House. 'Planting in May is key as it gives the plant the full spring growth surge it needs to build the strong branches that carry those dense flower heads.'
This is the shrub for adding structure and late-season punch to your borders. Popular varieties include 'Limelight', with its lime-green blooms, and 'Tiny Tuff Stuff', a compact hydrangea ideal for smaller spaces. Space plants three to four feet apart and give them afternoon shade in hot climates.
Shop hydrangea plants at Fast Growing Trees.
Shop May Planting Essentials May
A layer of quality mulch keeps moisture in and weeds out while plants establish - creating that polished, cohesive look that makes new borders feel instantly more mature.
Make quick work of planting perennials from pots with an ergonomic hand trowel. This Amazon find rates highly and it's affordable too.
A plant fertilizer, like this Miracle-Gro one provides the nutrient rich foundation that plants need to establish strong roots and build vigor before they bloom in late summer.
The secret to an August garden that looks effortless? Do the work now. Plant now while the soil is warm and workable, to give these eight plants a three-month window to establish deep roots, and by the time August rolls around, you'll be relaxing in your backyard while your garden does all the work.
Just remember to water the plants consistently for the first two to three weeks, as this is when the roots are establishing. A little attention now means months of low-maintenance reward later.
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