Northern Hemisphere September 2010

[TheOnionMan]

fun to see the asters--tons of them here too

Don't forget Cohan, you do not see any asters, no, not a single one

[Lvandelft]

Look at Luit's Italian Aster amellus cultivars

Mark, I wonder why you call A. amellus Italian asters?

Here is Eccremocarpus scaber - a dark red variant. Flowering since months.
(not hardy here)

Gerd

Gerd, that's a super red color. I have seen the yellows and orange forms in our coastal area coming back every year when planted through shrubs

[TheOnionMan]

Look at Luit's Italian Aster amellus cultivars

Mark, I wonder why you call A. amellus Italian asters?

Because many web sites refer to it as such, the Italian Aster.  I know it has a very large European and Asian distribution, but for some reason (I'm not sure why), many people refer to it as Italian Aster.  Google the phrase, and you'll see what I mean.

[Lvandelft]

Mark I never heard of it before, but I see that it's called Italian Aster only in English speaking countries.
Here we would say Bergaster (mountainaster) and sometimes Kalkaster is used because it doesn't like alkaline soil.

[Lvandelft]

About Aster linariifolius, does this flower already in your place? Here it's mostly not before the end of September.
I would not like to miss it in my garden, it's very late and elegant. Here an older picture of it

[Afloden]

Mark,
 
 S. pilosus does have that sugar cookie fragrance. It really is amazing. You're the only other person who I have known to mention this. Even the basic white form is worth growing for this alone.

 Aaron

[TheOnionMan]

About Aster linariifolius, does this flower already in your place? Here it's mostly not before the end of September.
I would not like to miss it in my garden, it's very late and elegant. Here an older picture of it

Lovely A. linariifolius Luit, a good looking form.  It is quite prevalent here, preferring sandy enbankments.  Just a few miles from my house, in southern New Hampshire, there is an extensive road embankment, actually a hillside cutaway, where thousands upon thousands of these grow; I've made a number of selections over the years.  Yes, some are in bloom now, some have been flowering for a while, and some are still just in bud.  I'll post more later once done with a deadline next week, but here's a random sampling, including a white one in bud.

As an aside, my entry level Nikon Coolpix camera does a terrible job capturing the true flower color of this aster, in sun looking all washed out, in shade looking ghostly or overlaid with a blue haze... I've taken so many photos, but have thrown out most of them, just can't get that robins egg blue color to show properly.

[TheOnionMan]

Mark,
 
 S. pilosus does have that sugar cookie fragrance. It really is amazing. You're the only other person who I have known to mention this. Even the basic white form is worth growing for this alone.

 Aaron

Aaron, so good to get your corroboration on the sugar cookie fragrance on Aster pilosus... I'm not having bakery fantasies after all  

About 5 years back, I had my "great aster experiment"... sick of the stiff and stodgy hybrid asters (some are nice I suppose, but most lack the charm and airy grace of the wild species), I sought out native asters, stopping along roadsides and taking basal cuttings from the best.  I created an "aster mound", a raised earth mound about 10' x 8' x 2' high, planted with all white asters, pilosus, lateriflorus (in the white form instead of pinkish), and ericoides (both tall and prostrate forms).  It exceeded all expectations, and from September until November its a billowing mound of white.  One day I was out weeding the garden nearby, the year after the initial planting, and I was catching whiffs of an enticing warm cookie aroma, I thought to myself that my wife must be baking again, she's a good baker and she frequently bakes yummy cookies.  The aroma was so enticing, it was driving me to distraction, so went inside the house, but nothing was baking.  Go back outside and discovered Aster pilosus was the source

So the reason I planted my gigantic 6' (2 meter) multi-stemmed forest of Aster pilosus but the bottom of my deck stair, was both for the months-long succession of bloom, and for the amazing aroma.

[cohan]

fun to see the asters--tons of them here too

Don't forget Cohan, you do not see any asters, no, not a single one

i'm ok using 'aster' as a catchall common name, and leaving 'Aster' as the debated genus name 
my local situation is rather confusing anyway--i haven't figured out most of the species anyway, so don't even know which of the genera to use!

[Brian Ellis]

Just catching up after a long weekend away, super pictures Luit and Mark, I particularly like the Miscanthus Indian Chief and will look out for it in the future.

[Lvandelft]

I particularly like the Miscanthus Indian Chief and will look out for it in the future.

That will last some years Brian  but in comparison that is short. I tested it more than 15 years and I know it is one of the best

[Lvandelft]

Lovely A. linariifolius Luit, a good looking form.  It is quite prevalent here, preferring sandy enbankments.  Just a few miles from my house, in southern New Hampshire, there is an extensive road embankment, actually a hillside cutaway, where thousands upon thousands of these grow; I've made a number of selections over the years.  Yes, some are in bloom now, some have been flowering for a while, and some are still just in bud.  I'll post more later once done with a deadline next week, but here's a random sampling, including a white one in bud.

Mark what a treat to see all these different forms of Aster linariifolia.
I have my plant just 4 or 5 years and there are for sure not many plants here in the Netherlands.
Now I know that it’s at least very hardy. To select better forms might be interesting but I’m afraid that seed forming with such late flowering plants here is difficult and therefore pretty impossible?
Thanks for showing all these different forms.


Here is another not much (almost never) used Aster.
It’s only a good plant when in a poor, rather dry and hot spot, where it flowers 6 weeks at least.
When in a rich soil they become to high and don’t look good. But in such poor spot it takes several years to become a good mat.

Aster radula

[Gerdk]

Here is another not much (almost never) used Aster.
It’s only a good plant when in a poor, rather dry and hot spot, where it flowers 6 weeks at least.
When in a rich soil they become to high and don’t look good. But in such poor spot it takes several years to become a good mat.
Aster radula

Luit, what a sight! What a pity that this Aster will probably fail in my heavy soil.

Gerd

[pehe]

My garden yesterday.

1. Sternbergia lutea
2. St. sicula 'Dodona Gold'
3. Colchicum agrippinum
4. Col. autumnale 'Alboplenum'
5. Albuca tricophylla, 2 year old seedling
6. Crocus speciosus
7. Tropaeolum 'Ken Aslet'
8. Empodium plicatum
9. Empodium plicatum
10. Empodium plicatum

Poul

[David Nicholson]

You should be very proud of your garden Poul. Empodium is a species I haven't seen before, pretty little thing.