Many people think they need to wait for Spring to plant. Maybe because the winters are spent inside and we are then motivated to "get outside", but the best time to plant is actually in the Fall.
My blooms in the summer dearth are planned far ahead. Being a gardener, I know that something planted in the dead of summer will probably not survive, especially if it is brutally hot like many summers we get here. The real time to plant those flowers for the summer dearth is the previous fall.
We do have some more hot weather coming our way in August, but the dearth is beginning to subside. The appearance of Golden Rod in the ditches and a week of rainy weather, lets me know that fall is just around the corner. Fall is the best time to plant (a perennial) due to the cooler temps that give the plant time to grow roots before winter. The winters in North Carolina are pretty mild most years and the plant will die back and look dead, but the root will continue to grow underground. It will be fed by the winter rains and be ready to sprout back out of the ground in the spring.
Many Local Garden Centers will have a Good Selection of Perennials
When shopping for plants, search for a locally grown operation. The plants from many of the big box stores are shipped in from "who knows where"!! They are not local to your area and may not survive. Also, many of the growers for box stores use pesticides that are systemically grown into the plant. So you would be bringing home a plant that might kill your pollinators. It has been reported that much of the "Milkweed" sold in box stores, a plant that is so necessary for the survival of the Monarch Butterfly, has been poisoned with pesticides!
Know your grower!! Ask questions before you buy a plant. If they cannot give you answers, they did not grow it and you should not buy it!!
Here are some Perennials that can be planted in the fall and will feed your pollinators next spring and summer!!
Seeds from annuals can also be shared. I am always happy to share my seeds with another gardener! Especially if they are wanting to feed the pollinators in their area.