Two suggestions:

The traditional tall phlox, Phlox paniculata, was once the glory of every mid to late summer perennial garden. It comes in many shades of pink, from pale to very deep, lavender, white. Many are wonderfully fragrant. They should do very well for you. The dark side is that they get mildew and woodchucks love them. They are much less prone to mildew where there summers are cooler (like much of Maine) and where there is a lot of air circulation.

Another idea is asters. They also come in many shades of pink, purple and white. I don't know of any fragrant aster but they make a spectacular display.

How about late to very late blooming daylilies? There are several varieties in the colors your looking for that are very fragrant. I have many DL's and they are all blooming now and are gorgeous!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Late blooming daylilies

Thanks for the link, daylilylady! I order from Ollalie and get a few of their very lates every year. Is Bloomingfields Farm a good mailorder source?

Thanks ginny12 and daylilylady. I have always steered awys from phlox becuase of the mildew problem and having to stake them. Do you stake yours or are they sturdy enought to go it alone? I had a bad experience with daylilies---spent years digging out a huge patch of those orange ditch lilies which were thriving when we bought our house. However, I'm beginning to come around now and the later varietites are definitely an option :)

The plant breeders have done amazing things with daylilies. I recently saw some clumps of huge lemon-yellow daylilies that were a real asset to the landscape. And the link that daylilylady gave gives you some idea of the tremendous variety of daylilies that are available.

MM

mainerose, I have good luck with phlox 'David' that was bred for its mildew resistance. I have never had a spot of mildew on it. It is white and even a bit more later-blooming than other tall phlox. I remember one year mine bloomed all of Sept.

Olalie Farms must be, by far, the premier breeders in VERY late daylilies. They have many varieties that don't even start to put up scapes until August. Each year I have been ordering a few of their very lates, which don't even start to bloom til early Sept. There are so few choices we have for bloom for late Aug., Sept., and into Oct. It's great that daylilies are now an option. The ones I've gotten from Olalie are in shades of red, pink, and melon.

No, the hybrid daylies won't take over like the orange ditch lilies.

Another late bloomer is Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert' (white). Most years this is blooming well into Oct. for me. Also 'Pamina' (pink), but this one's more vigorous and seems to have spreading tendencies.

Here is a link that might be useful: Olalie daylies

For late bloomers I depend on echinacea,clara Curtis and Sheffield pink chyrsanthemum, rudbekia (indian summer, I think) gloriosa Daisies, and the second blooming of some things that I cut back. Butterfly bush and also the self sowing annuals like Nicotiana, cosmos and snaps help also. I usually have late sweet peas as well.
Martha

A few more suggestions:

Chelone
Eupatorium
Aconitum
Cimicifuga
Kirengeshoma palmata (check hardiness; though friends with a nursery in zone 4 sold this plant)
Ornamental grasses!

Mainerose, Olallie's is one of the best sellers to buy from, they have a huge selection of hybrid DL's with very reasonable prices. If your really interested in daylilies, you can come over to the daylily forum to pick up as much info as you need...I usually spend most of my computer time there.
Marilyn

I planted some echinacea plants (coneflower)last year and I am very glad I did. They are doing great and really liven up the gardens when most things have gone by. I know most people do well with tall garden phlox but I hardly ever get blossoms on the few I have.

Joanie D.

I have phlox and rose of sharon - very good year for both