Cait's Garden

I would be remiss not to mention the perennial I’ve waited the longest to see. We wait so long to see asters it can be easy to ignore them. But no doubt the flowers are welcome when they arrive.

Asters can be found in varying shades of purple, as well as unexpected colors, such as the bright red aster shown in the photo, which is still in full bloom in my yard.

It’s certainly easy to grow asters, and easy to to make more of them by division. The only downside is a tendency to get powdery mildew…something I usually forget until it’s too late and the leaves look horrible. Perhaps next year I will remember to spray them with an antifungal in the middle of summer when the damage is usually done. On the bright side, the flowers are still gorgeous.

One note, rabbits love asters. Some people I know with plentiful wild rabbits have completely given up on growing them. If you are wondering where those asters you planted have gone, look to the bunny in your yard.