 |
Meg brought this aster from her place. It grows to over 6 foot tall and the butterflies love it! Best part is it is very hard to kill, most asters crap out on me. Same aster different lighting with a big mosquito on it. Does anyone know what this is called?
We bought a 6 pack of sweet potato plants and planted them in the garden. I have not grown sweet potatoes since I was a young man, here is the harvest from 6 plants.
We had a Monarch flying about in the yard today, first I've seen here this fall!
Hey I saw a sign along the road today RedDog Nursery was having a plant sale. I followed the signs and found a house with a tent with lots of flowers. Those of you that follow this blog know I'm taken with hellebores. Well they had doubles, 2 year old beautiful doubles for $8 I purchased three of them. These are from Terranova Nursery, the ones I got are Cotton Candy, Painted Doubles and Amber Gem. I'm sure if I'd order any one of these online I'd paid more than $24 with shipping.
Oh and this is my 300th post on this blog, can you believe it?
Since the asters look like they are different because of the lighting, which one is near the real color. I love it being blue and prolific in flowering. That mosquito looks scary because it looks so big, but i know it is only because of your lens. I am scared of mosquitoes because we have dengue here, I didn't know it also likes nectar, haven't seen them in flowers.
ReplyDeleteI love those asters every time I see them in someone's blog. The color just zaps me. Your sunflowers are great too.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your fall weather and your recent purchase of hellebores.
FlowerLady
If you want 3-4 more huge clumps of swamp sunflower, just bring a shovel to my place! Mine is 'First Light' so it stays low--you know, only 5 feet high! Come get it! :-)
ReplyDeleteI've seen just a few Monarchs. Monarch Watch says crossing Oklahoma, Texas and other big drought areas will be devastating to the population as there is nothing growing for them. My son told me yesterday that many ranchers are destroying their livestock because there's no grazing land.
Nice photos, aster are worth the wait.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to add any confusion, but the second yewllow plant might be native or woodland sunflower (does well in full sun, too), Helianthus divaricatus. If your aster is a cultivar, I can't help you, but judging from its leaves it may be a smooth leaf aster, Symphyotrichum laeve, but those tend to only get 3 feet tall. I've been growing potatoes in plastic bins and I love it!
ReplyDeleteNice pix. I love that tall blue aster. 6' of it must looked grand. Enjoyed this post.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 300th post!! I never knew asters could be that tall. Such a prolific bloomer and that's a nice harvest!
ReplyDeleteAsters are fantastic!
ReplyDeleteAh ha!!! I think they're (don't laugh) big asters, Aster tataricus!
ReplyDeleteRandy, your aster looks a lot like mine, but asters are tricky and variable.
ReplyDeleteSymphyotrichum novae-angliae is one of the most commonly available. Often when you buy them, they've been sheared and shaped, and look compact (like a mum). Then, the following year they're normal height, and floppy!
BTW, there are a couple of different Helianthus species called swamp sunflowers, but they're both enjoyable, especially with some mid-summer pruning. One has much narrower leaves than the other, as you pointed out.
Congrats on 300 posts!
Lisa
Congrats on 300 posts. I've enjoyed every single one of your posts.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Monica on the Tartaricus. A favorite native aster growing here that I got by mistake. I did not know narrow leaf sunflower and swamp sunflower were one and the same. There are so many yellow sunflowers-cup plant, helianthus, heliopsis, rudbeckia, bidens, wing tip I think you said, that I can hardly tell them apart. I do have the Helianthus 'Maximillion' and actually really like it alot. They can spread fast though as you know. Maybe it is what Monica said and another type of sunflower. Sure is pretty. Sweet potatoes look great and just in time for Thanksgiving!
That Aster is awesome! I cant seem to keep them in my garden either.
ReplyDeleteYour sweet potatoe crop is reminding me that Thanksgiving is just around the corner.
Wow, we love bargains dont we?
As I type, I am watching a bee buzzing around the window by me. I wonder if it is trying to ge inside where it is warmer.
300! Happy Blogging....
Hi Randy, Great post with all the beautiful native flowers!!
ReplyDelete(Scary mosquito - you grow 'em big in the south!) ;-)
Great potatoes - I envy your eating them... and as for the hellebores - YOU struck pay dirt!!
We have a cousin to your sunflower here, in the same family, but belongs to the Encelia genus. The flowers look very much alike.
ReplyDeleteDid you see Gail's aster post recently at Clay and Limestone? She just posted about Aster tataricus, looks very similar, and also grows very large. I wonder if it's the same one as yours?
congratulations on your 300th! Love your photos but then we all know bees love flowers! seriously - great site.
ReplyDeleteWow! 300 posts! When do you find time to garden???? (Ha, ha!)
ReplyDeleteAsters- so beautiful. Totally not acquainted with those tall ones AND I hope never to meet a mosquito that size!
Sweet potatoes...I luv them. I don't know you well enough to know if you're bragging or complaining about the size of the crop. (I don't know anything about how they bear, obviously.)
Oh, come on. That's a mosquito? It looks as big as a hummingbird. You must need to wear armor in the garden...
ReplyDeleteI agree with Monica, probably aster tartaricus, we have some and they're great.
ReplyDelete