08/16/2026
The Late-Summer “Green Dragon”
Is your garden looking like a sea of green with very few blooms? Are there big gaps where spring flowers once brightened the beds? If so, you have encountered the late-summer “Green Dragon.” A “Green Dragon” happens when spring-flowering plants have finished blooming, leaving lots of foliage but very little color in the garden.
NOW is the time to take pictures, make notes, and start creating your list for fall planting for next summer.
Most perennials bloom for only a few weeks each year. After flowering, some disappear completely until the following season, while others remain as foliage for the rest of the summer. Examples of spring ephemerals include poppies, tulips, daffodils, bluebells, trilliums, and mayapples.
How to Defeat the Green Dragon
• Add annuals for continuous color and blooms until frost.
• Plant more late-season bloomers, such as Japanese anemones, asters, Joe Pye w**d, Montauk daisies, heleniums, and sedums.
• Increase interest with foliage plants such as ferns, hostas, artemisia, and heucheras.
Take photos of your garden now, note where color is missing, and start planning your fall planting. Your future summer garden will thank you!
September and early October are ideal times to plant perennials. Cooler temperatures reduce transplant stress, and plants have time to establish roots before winter arrives.
Watch for details about the WGC Fall Plant Sale on September 19, where members will be offering a wide variety of perennials that bloom from spring through fall.
