Re: Aster problems

Nan-

I too have had an aster that did something similar in my yard.  I can't 
remember the name but it was a very simple flower w/fine airy foliage....I 
purchased it at an arboretum sale one March in a 4" pot - by the end of  
summer it was a huge airy bush w/an abundance of bloom.  Once the blooms 
began to fade and the seed heads formed the bloom color was lost to the 
ripening seed heads.  After collecting seeds, with the thought that I would 
want this again, I had my husband weed eat it down and thankfully I lost the 
unprotected plant during a hard winter.  The following year I had them 
everywhere - yards and yards away from where the mother plant had been.  
Because I have a tendency to buy too many plants and need places to put them 
I didn't allow any of these to become mature plants and I disposed of the 
collected seed.  

Last year I tried my hand with the Stokes aster with little luck but might be 
willing to try this one again if I see it available.

March '98 at the arboretum sale I purchased a different aster - one for part 
sun or part shade-according to the catalog, it is called Aster divaricatus 
'whitewood'- the blooms are small white star like blooms and the foliage 
makes a nice mound not more than 18" high.  The leaves are ovate-lance-shaped 
in a medium green (a bit on the olive side w/just a touch of reddish purple 
color on the underside and the veining).  This one blooms in late summer thru 
the fall.  This one is a keeper - this plant is very pleasing even when not 
in bloom.

For the past four years I've been attending what we call March Mart - it is 
an annual sale that the arboretum puts on--each year more and more people 
show up.  My husband takes a day of vacation to stay home and watch the kids. 
 My neighbor and myself head out (regardless of weather - most often raining) 
at 6 am to arrive at 7 am....then we stand in line for an hour.  We are 
usually one of the first 50 people to arrive.  This sale offers many plants 
that aren't "common" in the nursery trade....sometimes offering plants that 
take 2 to 3 years to arrive in nurseries.

Anyway - should you see the aster divaricatus 'white wood' I think you would 
be pleased.

Happy gardening to you


Kemberly McLain
Katy, Texas Zone 9

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index