And Where Are the "Asters"? -Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, September 2010

Rose 'Carefree Beauty' has rebounded in the cooler weather

The Year of Weird keeps rolling along with the New England and smooth ex-Asters conspicuous by their absence.  It's definitely autumn out there now, as there are some plants formerly known as Aster blooming and several plants, such as the 'Carefree Beauty' rose (above) are getting a second wind in the cooler, wetter weather.

There's this thing, a wilding ex-Aster, blooming away beneath the Norway maple and despite the depredations of passing deer.  The hybrid wilding in the woodland garden is still in bud.

I may not be cross-eyed and painless, but I'm definitely sleep-deprived and brainless, so I failed to put the ex-Asters together in the collages.  It took me a while to figure out how to do collages in Photoshop. Please bear with me.

Poor Geranium himalayense x wallchianum 'Gerwat' (Rozanne®) blooms for so long that it gets taken for granted.  On the right is the newest ex-Aster to Squirrelhaven, Eurybia macrophylla.

The ex-Aster oblongifolius 'October Skies' has started spitting out a few blooms.

The other stalwarts of fall, the toad lilies, are in full bloom. Above is Tricyrtis 'Tojen'.

Below, representing itself and 'Gilt Edge' is Tricyrtis 'Gilty Pleasure'.


Chartreuse foliage is good. Just check out my new Corydalis 'Berry Exciting', below right,

and the foliage of Cornus 'W. Stackman' (Golden Shadows™) setting off Phlox 'Laura.'

The Phloxes are reblooming well (except for 'Starfire', which may be dead).

Here's my favorite Phlox paniculata, 'Nicky' loaded with buds, with Geranium 'Blogold' (*Blue Sunrise™? Blue Sunrise®?) and the aptly named Solidago 'Fireworks'.

Finally blooming for the first time following a moving experience is the dwarf goldenrod, Solidago 'Dansolitlem' (Little Lemon®).

That's it on the bottom. On the top is the new flush of Clematis Rhapsody.

Clematis 'Madame Julia Correvon' has been blooming sparsely but steadily all through the heat of summer. It's nearly done for the year.

On the left is the foundation of the fall shade garden, Anemone x hybrida 'Andrea Atkinson'. That is one tough plant to kill.


On the left, well supported this year, is Anemone 'Party Dress'. On the right, Colchicum 'Autumn Queen', blooming for the first time. Thank you Kathy (Cold Climate Gardening)!

Colchicum 'The Giant' has never looked better, especially now that the Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (gosh I love saying that) has gotten established.

These plants are divisions from the main group in the raised bed,

In bloom:  Sedum 'Bertram Anderson', Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, Platycodon grandiflorus (balloon flower) and Campanula 'Samantha'

which were themselves passalongs from my sister's old garden.

Lobelia 'Sparkle DeVine' and on the right Callirhoe involucrata with Sedum 'Bertram Anderson'

The Sedums and ex-Sedums are either in full bloom or starting to fade now.

Hylotelephium 'Becka' (Autumn Delight)

a native Lobelia

Lobelia syphilitica

Dianthus 'Cranberry Ice' is back in bloom with the Lavender 'Hidcote', which is also enjoying a fall flush.



A frothy sea of Geranium 'Bob's Blunder' glows in the early autumn light.

There's no place better in September than the Chicago area, with blue skies, comfortable temperatures and that slanting autumn light.

Neglected and ignored plants in the woodland garden, Hosta lancifolia and Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac':

they're both a little too good to be true.

Another neglected and rarely pictured plant here at Squirrelhaven, Malva sylvestris 'Zebrina',

is looking much better now that Japanese beetles aren't feasting on it.

And now for something completely different:

a view of the patio containers, overflowing with Diascia and Callebrachoa.

Finally, the woody bloomers of fall:  Heptacodium miconiodes

the Seven Sons Flower is popular with the Monarchs; a pouting big-leaf Hydrangea makes a good companion for the Polyganatum biflorum with its ripened berries,

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer' (Endless Summer®)

and Caryopteris incana 'Jason' (Sunshine Blue®).  Remember when I thought this might be dead?


In addition to the "Asters" blooming late this year, the Cimicifugas (Actaea) 'James Compton' and 'Black Negligee' are also late.  The good news is that 'Black Negligee', which didn't bloom at all last year, has more bloom stalks than ever.

I hope this first Bloom Day of autumn finds your garden in fine shape. Thanks to Carol, at May Dreams Gardens, for hosting Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Also in bloom:
Aster species (from the old Heronswood)
Campanula 'Sarastro'
Campanula persicifolia 'Blue-eyed Blonde'
Campanula persicifolia 'Grandiflora Alba'
Campanula persicifolia 'Telham Blue'
Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Janice' PPAF (with the gag-worthy moniker "Lil Miss Sunshine™")
Clematis 'Evipo 038'/'Fairy Blue' (Crystal Fountain™)
Echinacea purpurea
Eupatorium 'Phantom'
Eurybia divaricatus/Aster divaricata
Hibisbus syriaca 'Red Heart'
Hylotelephium/Sedum 'Matrona'
Hylotelephium/Sedum 'Black Jack'
Hylotelephium/Sedum 'Purple Emperor'
Hylotelephium/Sedum spectabile
Lobelia 'Monet Moment'
Lobularia maritime (Sweet Alyssum)
Malva 'Zebrina'
Penstemon 'Pike's Peak Purple'
Phlox paniculata 'David'
Phlox paniculata 'David's Lavender'
Phlox paniculata 'Red Riding Hood'
Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge'

*I thoroughly agree with Dee of Red Dirt Ramblings in her recent guest post on Garden Rant about tradenames.  Trying to figure out whether the tradename should have a ® or a ™ after it is a royal pain.