I'm not sure if this is early enough to bloom in August, but I really like snowberries. It's not a spectacular flower, but the white really stands out, it's native, and it has really neat white berries that also stand out all the way into early winter (or later).

Not great with flowers, so that's the only one I can think of. Good luck, sounds like a fun reunion!

The Rozanne = 'Gerwat' geranium has been a hit with many and is at outlets now. Otherwise Frikart asters are a classic, although I have sometimes had these not come back in spring - making sure drainage is good throughout the year may be the key. We had the 'Goldsturm' coneflower here for many years but then something started to chew away sections of the rays ("petals") and I got tired of their cheesy yellow coloring. But quite a smart-looking plant otherwise, and it has leaves present during winter.

Late season/August blooming perennials include rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan), upright sedums, agastache, asters, mums, echinaceas (coneflower), some salvias, phygelius (Cape fuchsia). And there are great late season annuals or bulbs - dahlias, glads, cannas. Most ornamental grasses seem to come into their own in late summer as well.

Come visit Valley Nursery, Eileen - we'll help you find a bunch of good stuff!

hardy and annual fuchsias, perovskia (Russian sage) Caryopteris, orienpet and oriental lilies, there are late daylilies too

Great ideas! And I go to Valley Nursery WAY too much as it is! But I'm sure I'll be visiting again soon! I adore Russian sage, one of my very favorites. I also have a few upright sedums. I haven't really used asters or mums or agastache. The dahlias I've tried in the past have disappointed me, but it may be worth giving it another go.

I'll look into late daylilies too. Great ideas.