Tag: New England Aster
Supernova: an Explosion of Asters
The name Aster comes from the Greek word for star. At this time of year, it feels like the Asters are exploding into a sort of floral supernova.
Presentable in Pink
Judy and I are generally not fond of pink flowers, and we don’t have many in the garden. Not sure why. Generally we like really strong colors – but then we both are partial to blue, which is a softer color like pink. Also, there are a few pink flowers that we like, and at least …
Longwood Gardens in October, Part II: The Meadow Garden
After experiencing the Flower Garden Walk we found ourselves at the entrance to the Meadow Garden. This included a bridge that traversed the narrow point in Hourglass Lake. We stopped to admire the reflections of the trees in the still water.
Last Flowers Standing
It’s the middle of October and the garden is getting drowsy, sliding into its annual decline. In fact I was thinking of calling this post Decline and Fall (get it – fall?), but Judy says I use too many puns. Although, some of the roses are having a late season spurt of energy, particularly our …
Companion Plants for Asters
Aster means “star”, and certainly Asters are stars of the autumn garden. But stars need supporting actors, or the show can be pretty boring. For example, those one person shows where the star spends two hours impersonating, say, Teddy Roosevelt. Be honest, would you pay good money to see that? I didn’t think so. Which …
Bees and Butterflies Still Busy in the Garden
According to the website Monarch Watch, the peak for Monarch Butterfly abundance in Chicago should be roughly during the first half of September. However, in our garden the Monarchs seem to be on an expedited timetable. This year in July and August we would often see multiple Monarchs, as many as five at once. In …
More Fall Color in the Garden
As we near the end of October, fall seems to be ambling rather than marching on. We have yet to see a frost, and the warm weather means colors have shifted only slowly. Seedheads of Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) are no longer green, but seem to shimmer like hundreds of tiny goldfish. They look …
Asters Famous and Obscure
I love asters. I love their clouds of little flowers, the way they positively hum with bees, the fresh color that they add to cool autumn days. In my garden there are a number of aster species, some commonly found in gardens, others more easily found in the wild. I want to write about three …
Reason to Bee Hopeful?
There is an article in the most recent Science section of the New York Times on efforts to fight the worrisome decline of bees. The focus is on increasing the availability of plants in agricultural areas that provide forage for pollinators. In California, researchers are testing native plants for use in hedgerows or among crops. …
Are ‘Nativars’ The Enemy?
The most recent issue of the Wild Ones bi-monthly journal arrived the other day, featuring a big page one article on ‘Nativars’, or cultivars of native species. I’m a member of Wild Ones, which seeks to promote the use of native plants. The article lays out the organization’s recently adopted stance regarding these plants, which …
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