what's blooming now 2014

[havalotta]

Originally Posted by katjh

I spent much of this dreary fall day doing some fall cleanup. About all that is left here now are the asters. I do love the asters. I think I could really love an entire aster bed! In fact....I may just try that!

Hi Katjh
I've been MIA for the last month or so or should I say more like..... missing in move-ment (Moving) and am happy to find a new recruit among us. Me myself and I-Havalotta (another MICHIGANDER) hail you a hearty welcome!

If you have the time or an area in mind for the asters there's still time to move them into place before the frost sets in. I'm still moving and planting things here on the other side of Michigan. That way they're all set and ready to do their thing next year while you are toying with new ideas!

[wildwatcher]

Thanks rockerboo, your ID skills have helped more than a few. I'm proud to say I have some of that Woodland Knotweed, and it grows from a easy to transplant gnarly tuber looking root. I have it growing in the moist ravine bottom naturally, but I've also brought it up on top of the hill where it is much drier (still shaded), and it still thrives for me.

ww

[wildwatcher]

I found this example of smartweed, or at least I think that is what it is called. And it is blooming right now.

Here is another thing I find commonly around my place, I don't know what it's name is, but the powdery blue flowers are pretty, and it is kind of viney.

ww

[EllenW]

That looks like the native smartweed I have here ww. It is supposed be a good food source for wildlife. I have never seen the other plant but it's interesting.

[caseynet]

I lost the stick with ID. My bad!

[will-o-wisp]

I cut a potted aster way back in August and it just started blooming which encourages me to do more later pruning of the asters to stagger bloom times into the late Fall.
Usually I quit cutting back July 15th.
I still have plenty of the later self seeded Anise Hyssop blooming purple and a non native yellow and orange chrysanthemum has spread front and center in the street side strip is adding a Halloween pumpkin presence to that garden.
This splash of color saves the garden from looking too drab to the local lawn police and other more traditional viewers that don't see the beauty of the softly fading subtle colors around these bright spots.
Speaking of yellow the shrubby St. Johns wort has finally bloomed also very late.
I planted that one in the early spring and it took until now to bloom.

The rest of the garden is all lovely seed pods, berries and beautifully varied leaf colors on the perennials.
Pretty pale yellows for the Joe Pye Weed topped by soft pinkish shaggy heads.
These are planted among a small stand of switch grass which has turned an even paler straw color.
The red "berries" come from the winterberries (true berries) and the native honeysuckle seeds.

There is a really lovely section of blue green kale leaves interspersed with the seed heads and intense red top leaves of Penstemon (also self seeded) and just a splash of a pale lavender chrysanthemum ( some old heirloom variety that can bloom in part shade) that I found in the back garden and moved to the herb garden.

[rockerBOO]

Originally Posted by caseynet

I lost the stick with ID. My bad!

Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve) I think.

[linrose]

Not native but my beloved roses are putting on a great fall show right now which look so nice against the fall foliage.

[linrose]

Aromatic asters are still going strong too!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by will-o-wisp

I cut a potted aster way back in August and it just started blooming which encourages me to do more later pruning of the asters to stagger bloom times into the late Fall.
Usually I quit cutting back July 15th.

I've come to the same conclusion. Although I rarely cut things back, I have some goldenrod that came up near the house where I didn't want it, but as usual, I didn't want to just kill it, but move it out where it could replace more of the mugwort. Since, it wasn't a good time to move it, I cut it way back since it was so tall and looking weedy in that spot. I never got around to moving it, but I was thrilled to see it blooming these past couple of weeks--tons of pollinators on it with only a few asters left elsewhere. It makes me want to try to extend the blooming time of some of them out in the meadow each year so there is more nectar available.