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Harbingers of Fall -- Part IV -- Asters, Part IIRead the article this discussion is about
This archived discussion is "read only".
» Deb_TT - Marge, Asters are such a wonderful fall show and so easy to grow Marge, Asters are such a wonderful fall show and so easy to grow, I think it's a shame so many gardens devote a little space to chrysanthemums but not to the asters.One of my favorite fall combinations are Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and Aster 'Wonder of Staffa'. A combination that happened not by design more from a lucky guess they would do well together. In my last home it was the season finale in the back yard, starting in July with the green flower heads of the Sedum, slowly turning pink in early August when a sprinkling of Aster blossoms appear teasing you with anticipation! This builds into a crescendo of bright pink red of the sedums to 4' tall Asters loaded with lavender blue blossoms in September and lasts through October until first frost around the beginning of November. What a show! If you can't tell I liked this, I am repeating this at my new home with divisions from the old plants. The show is small this year but by next year it will highlight the front garden next to a flaming burgundy red Enkianthus shrub. Oh for grand finales! I have a photo of a small portion of the Sedum Aster Show it will be an article in the future. (Although I think I wrote a bit of it here.) Thanks for the Aster information, since I am expanding the Asters to include more than the three varieties I grow. Asters rule! Debra Teachout-Teashon -- posted by Deb_TT » Cottage_Garden - Nice photo! Aster fans, unite! I saw another great combo t Nice photo! Aster fans, unite! I saw another great combo this morning on the way to the school bus. An escaped spiderflower (cleome) in hot hot hot magenta grew up through a deep blue-purple self-sown aster. Stunning! I saw it even though I hadn't had any coffee yet and it's a dreary gray fall morning. That says a lot! Barbara Martin -- posted by Cottage_Garden » Deb_TT - Barb, Was that in your garden? Sounds like a great combo! Deb Barb, Was that in your garden? Sounds like a great combo!Debra Teachout-Teashon -- posted by Deb_TT » Marge_Talt - Debbie, Apologies for tardiness! I'm just now emerging from Debbie,Apologies for tardiness! I'm just now emerging from a couple weeks of deadline hell. I love your Sedum/Aster combo! Now, why didn't I think of something like that? I have S. 'Autumn Joy' in the same bed as one of my unknown A. novi-belgi plants, but it is not a real happy pairing like yours! I agree that Asters should be more widely used. I've got one Mum that persists well and gives a nice show every year, but most of them peter out, no matter how religiously divided. And, besides, Asters will tolerate more shade than Mums...an important consideration in my garden! Try some of the species. If you'd like some seeds of A. lateriflorus, let me know. Marge -- posted by Marge_Talt » Cottage_Garden - Talk about tardy! Yes, that was in my garden -- weed patch that Talk about tardy! Yes, that was in my garden -- weed patch that it is this year. (sigh)Barbara Martin -- posted by Cottage_Garden » Deb_TT - Marge, Yes I would love seed for the Aster! I forgot to put o Marge,Yes I would love seed for the Aster! I forgot to put on the Aster above that it is Aster frikartii 'Wonder of Staffa'. And also the Enkianthus color I mentioned above is fall colors not year round colors. Must have been a brain malfunction that day! I agree about the mums. I wish they wouldn't give up so fast! I have seriously thought about just keeping them in pots and sinking them in the ground when they start to bloom. The slugs also have a field day with them that I have all but given up on them, but might try the method above, since I don't have any in the new gardens this year. Debra Teachout-Teashon -- posted by Deb_TT » Marge_Talt - You're on, Debbie. Just send me your snail mail address private You're on, Debbie. Just send me your snail mail address privately and I'll send you a bunch.I've always wanted Enkianthus and plan on getting one for my 'wilderness' garden. I really wasn't aware that they had good fall color, too. A nice bonus! Although you didn't say 'fall', I knew you meant it :-) I think the problem with most of the mums we buy already in bloom in the fall is that they really need a lot of pampering to make much of a show...full sun, lots of food and water and continual pinching...not to mention being divided every year. That's a bit much for me to handle, so mine peter out. All except for one I had for years called 'Pink Grandchild', I believe. That one put up with a tremendous amount of neglect and always flowered...that is, until I lost it by letting Boltonia swallow it up. I wish I could find the name of the one I have that does quite well. It's a tall, late flowering mum with a large, single daisy-like flower in a lovely shade of pale, peachy pink. It actually just started flowering about a week ago. It will last until the rains of November beat it to the ground. Marge -- posted by Marge_Talt
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