Are there any flowers or plants I can plant in August, Zone 5?

For edibles, basil grows fast. You might get a crop if the weather holds up.

Also, I have noticed that any store selling young plants & seedlings has a really short prime selling season. So often they have stragglers at dirt cheap prices.

I would plant mums and bulbs like tulips for spring.
Lettuce is a cooler weather crop too.That’s all I can think of right now.I haven’t had coffee yet :) I’m sure there are lots more.

Annuals for color or perennials for endurance and longevity? if annuals, plant right now.

For perennials, I’d wait for Sept. and cooler weather. What about just putting out a few big pots of geraniums, petunias and basil?

Fast maturing beans could flower before winter. I hear some bean plants have attractive flowers. I’m excitedly waiting for my pole beans to flower.

You can start some lettuce seeds now for fall harvesting.

Chrysanthemums bloom in the fall.

Thanks for the suggestions.

@gailcalled I’m looking for a little bit of both. Some perennials and some annuals.

Also, does anyone know of anything I can do to keep our kittens off our plants? They have torn most of the leaves off my Hosta and they have killed my Snapdraggons.