Late-Summer Fixes for the Garden

Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha)
Pineapple sage

Salvia. This is a huge family of annuals and perennials, some of which bloom over long periods, including into fall. All salvias need good drainage and most grow quickly. Many are a favorites of hummingbirds. The Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) has spectacular lavender and white (or all lavender) spikes from late summer to frost. Hardy to Zone 7b, it's grown as an annual in cooler areas. Salvia 'Indigo Spires' bears dark purple flowers on arching stems all summer until frost (hardy to Zone 7b). Autumn sage (S. greggii) is a staple in desert landscaping because of its tolerance to heat and drought. A perennial that's hardy to Zone 7, it blooms over long periods, depending on climate, and is available in purplish-red, red, white, pink and salmon. The fire-engine-red flowers of pineapple sage (S. elegans) start in earnest in late summer (tender perennial in Zone 7). The common scarlet sage (S. splendens), which blooms from spring to frost, also comes in a host of other colors including cream, pink, orange, salmon, purple and bicolors.

Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia). A tough, low-maintenance perennial that's hardy to Zone 5, this four-foot silvery-gray-green plant produces foot-long panicles of lavender-blue flowers in late summer and early fall. Opt for cultivars (such as 'Blue Mist' or 'Blue Spire') rather than seed-grown plants.

Scabiosa (Scabiosa columbaria). The pincushion flower—so named because the stamens stand above the petals—blooms from late spring to frost. 'Butterfly Blue' and 'Pink Mist' are favorite renditions. So is the prolific bloomer 'Samantha's Pink'. Perennial, hardy to Zone 4.