10 beautiful plants to plant now

My favourite garden of all is the late summer garden. Plants have ripened and matured, their long stems and profusion of flowers and seedheads intermingling with neighbouring plants to produce a tapestry of colour and texture. Bees, butterflies and birds revel in the abundance.

Now is a perfect time of year to plan for next year’s garden. The warm soil temperature is ideal for establishing healthy root systems. Plants also experience less heat stress at this time of year and benefit from the increased rainfall that typically occurs in late summer and early fall.

Look around: is there an area of your garden where you would like to inject more colour, texture or drama? Why not introduce something different and intriguing to your garden and at the same time get a head start on spring? The selection at garden centres right now is just too good to pass up.

Let’s start with the plant that for many gardeners is the quintessential shade plant — the hosta. It’s not the only option for a shade ground cover but do keep your eyes peeled for Hosta Silly String. It is currently making waves on both sides of the pond. A 2022 introduction from the breeding work of Hans Hansen of Walters Gardens, Hosta Silly String won second place for best plant of the year at the 2025 Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show.

Silly String has a compact size (height 35 cm, spread 71 cm) and a tidy, almost mophead habit. But what is so striking about this new variety is the intensely wavy leaf shape. The leaves are bluest in spring, gradually transitioning to a blue-green colour as the season progresses.

I’m on the lookout, too, for Silly String Hosta. But my quintessential shade perennial is Aralia cordata Sun King, also known as Golden Japanese Spikenard. The beautiful chartreuse colour never quits and the large, heart shaped foliage stands up to the forces of Mother Nature all season long.

Sun King’s mature size is slightly less than one metre tall and wide. If you are looking for a pop of vivid colour that doesn’t fade, Sun King’s impact cannot be understated. Its best performance is in part shade to light shade. Plant in a well-drained location that has rich, organic soil. Hardy to zone 3a, Sun King likes to take its time in spring before waking up.

But for something completely different, Mukdenia Crimson Fans is an outstanding specimen plant for the shady border. Native to China, Mukdenia is a relative of Heuchera coral bells. It features large, maple-like leaves which develop warm tinges of red when temperatures turn cooler in fall. In spring, tiny flowers like seed pearls appear on slender upright stems.

Mukdenia prefers moist soil in a part-shade-to-full-shade location. It grows to a height of 30 cm and gradually spreads to 60 cm. Rated as hardy to zone 4, Mukdenia has overwintered in my garden for several years without any added protection other than snow cover.

But let’s hear what Dorinda Penner, co-owner of Sunshine Nursery and Greenhouse in Steinbach says about this unique perennial.

“I love it, it is probably my favourite plant! It has been in front of (Sunshine’s) bistro for about eight years.”

Last summer, one of Sunshine’s clients asked to have Mukdenia planted on the south side of their house where it would receive much more sun than is recommended for this shade-loving plant. It was a test to see if Mukdenia would withstand the heat and intense sun, says Penner. The client had drip irrigation below a mulched surface.

“It wintered through great,” says Penner. “I also use it in cottage country, and it is deer resistant.”

Penner is currently sold out of Mukdenia but will have more in spring.

For the sunny border, you can’t go wrong with Gaillardia aristata SpinTop series. Introduced to the market by Dummen Orange about nine years ago, this popular, compact series has grown to include several varieties, including Mango, Mariachi Red Sky, Orange Halo and Red. I love them all. SpinTop brings impressive flower power all summer long and as late as October. Last year, mine were still blooming by Halloween.

Hardy to zone 3, Gaillardia SpinTop has excellent heat tolerance and is resistant to deer. Mature height is 25 cm.

Limonium latifolium sea lavender deserves more of a presence in our gardens. A long-lived hardy perennial, sea lavender has a low skirt of broad, paddle shaped leaves. Starting around mid-August, narrow leafless stems produce a spray of tiny, lavender flowers which are excellent for cutting and drying. Mature height with flowers is 50 cm. Sea lavender is resistant to deer. It prefers dry, well-drained soil in a full sun location.

Grape leaf anemone (Anemone tomentosa Robustissima) is an immensely satisfying perennial at this time of year. The dark green, deeply lobed foliage is flawless and the long-lasting flowers with their pink petals and yellow stamens sheer perfection. Even the perfectly round velvety buds are outstanding. The flower show lasts throughout September.

But I also want to give a shout out to Royal Jubilee Ninebark. A Jeffries Nurseries introduction, Royal Jubilee has dark crimson-red foliage that is a standout in the full-sun to part-sun garden. When gardens begin to look tired and faded, Royal Jubilee Ninebark’s rich colour is beautiful to behold. It has exceptional winter hardiness and a moderate size of 91 to 121 cm.

Karl Foerster grasses will soon be waving their tall golden leaves in gardens across southern Manitoba. It’s been the top selling ornamental grass for many years. But there is every reason to diversify your grass selection.

A red-leaved big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii Red October puts on a fabulous show starting in late summer when the narrow leaves transition from green to burgundy. But that’s just the beginning. After the first frost in fall, the colour deepens to a candy-apple red. Red October is hardy to zone 3 and grows to nearly 1.8 metres tall.

Andropogon Blackhawks big bluestem grass is slightly shorter (120 to 150 cm) but no less appealing, with deep green foliage that changes to dark purple and deepens to near black as autumn progresses.

Are you looking for something that is completely over the top? If you have plenty of room in a full sun location, snap up Pinky Winky Prime, an awesome new Hydrangea paniculata introduction from Proven Winners. It’s so big that it might be the only hydrangea you will ever need. I’m kidding, of course — no one stops at just one hydrangea, right?

With a height and spread of 1.8 to 2.7 metres, Pinky Winky Prime makes a big statement. In addition to a larger overall size, Pinky Winky Prime is an improvement on the original Pinky Winky and boasts improved hardiness and bigger blooms with richer colour.

The massive pyramidal shaped blooms start out pure white. By August, deep, saturated pink colour starts from the bottom of the flower and gradually moves to the tip for a spectacular late season show.

Planting now will give you even more to look forward to when next spring arrives.

colleenizacharias@gmail.com