End of Summer Blooms

Black-Eyed Susans are in stunning display at Historic London Town and Gardens.

The Summer Blooms of Joe Pye Weed and Black-Eyed Susans, plus the Beauty of Transition 

A simple glance at the tree canopy tells you all you need to know. Hints of yellow and red speckle the green forest, signaling cooler weather and shorter days ahead. The honey locust and tulip poplar have already begun their seasonal shedding, releasing golden leaves with every light breeze. 

As the trees prepare for winter, other plants are just beginning their show. Joe Pye Weed and Boneset have stretched toward the sky, now casting broad sprays of pink and white across the landscape and providing much-needed fuel for late-summer insects. Also called “feverwort,” Boneset was used by Native Americans to break fevers. Its common name comes from its historic use to treat Dengue Fever, or “Bone Break Fever.” 

While the Joe Pye and Bonesets sway in the breeze, closer to the ground lie the Black-Eyed Susans, covering garden beds in dense displays of yellows, oranges, and reds. An exceptionally robust native perennial, Rudbeckia hirta and its coneflower cousins are common host plants for a wide variety of bees, butterflies, and other critters. 

With the cooler weather approaching, it is the perfect time to work plants into your gardens. Cooler temperatures mean less transplant shock and watering requirements. Herbaceous perennials can focus their energy into establishing good root systems, and evergreens can slowly acclimate to their new home.  

At Historic London Town and Gardens, we work every day to beautify our small corner of the world while being mindful of ecological, aesthetic, and functional needs. With several species of Joe Pye Weed and dense beds of Black-Eyed Susans showing off their end of summer blooms, our four-season garden dazzles—even as the growing season winds down. 

 Joe Pye Weed attracting pollinators at London Town.