fall - ONCE UPON A CONEFLOWER

Fabulous Foliage

You’ve probably heard the old grammatical joke, “Eats Shoots and Leaves”. Without commas, the phrase might refer to a panda munching bamboo, or maybe a hungry caterpillar. But with commas, “Eats, Shoots, and Leaves” describes a cowboy wolfing his lunch and firing his six-shooter as he exits the saloon!

As any copyeditor will tell you, commas matter. But ask a gardener and it’s the shoots and leaves that matter!

Ferns, tropicals, shrubs, edibles: They all boast distinct foliage forms that are not only functional, but often very beautiful and valued in their own right. Foliage is simply the plant without its flower or reproductive parts. Foliage sustains, shelters, thrills and surprises us.

All About Asters

October Skies

April 24, 2023 – Author’s Note: This article has been corrected. It originally misstated a cultivar as Bluebird. I found the original tag still at the base of the plant this spring. It is actually Skyscraper.

Asters are a confusing lot. Many varieties look similar, so it’s easy to mix them up. Also called Michaelmas daisies because they bloom around St. Michaelmas Day (Sept. 29), asters comprise a huge and diverse family. Usually upstaged by their flashier mum companions, asters are frequently passed over. Or they end up as a last-minute addition to the shopping cart. They just don’t get much respect.

That’s a shame, because these beauties are in fact much tougher than they seem. Armed with facts and a bit of luck, they’re relatively easy to grow on in the garden. Let’s start by demystifying them.

Overwintering Fall Bloomers: Is It Worth It?

The truth is, it depends. Most of us love to buy armloads of nursery-grown mums and asters each fall to decorate our drives, porches and patios. Then it gets cold, and we’re stuck with what to do with them before winter sets in. It seems wasteful to throw them all out. So inevitably, we tuck a few into the ground and hope for the best.

Sometimes we get lucky and they show up (finally!) in late spring…but more often not. So what gives?

In this article I’ll weigh the pros and cons of overwintering late bloomers. Some thrive in the garden and others don’t. In fact, many are bred just to get tossed. The trick is knowing which is which, along with a few tips that should significantly increase your chances for success.