Cait's Garden

Asters are a September staple, but the usual short varieties can easily become riddled with powdery mildew before the flowers even open. Over the years, I’ve lost so many asters to mildew that I had given up on them. Then I found Sky Blue Aster in the native plants section at the nursery. After just two seasons, the pathetic little stem I brought home became a big, tall clump of blue-green leaves covered in sprays of periwinkle blue flowers. To my surprise, it has reproduced a few plants through what appears to be random seeding. I love when that happens! The 3-4 foot stems do tend to flop, but I am happy to report a fantastic resistance to mildew. Once again, a native plant comes to the rescue!