Autumnal Explosion of Asteraceae

Fading milkweed weaves in between the lavender of Drummond aster, the white of calico aster, and the yellow froth of Canada goldenrod.

Autumn is for flowers. In September, the garden explodes into frothy clouds of aster and goldenrod delighting swarms of bees, butterflies, and bugs. It's a bouncing sea of white, purple, and yellow and if you stop a moment, the place is literally humming. I'm afraid I let the boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) go because, well, bees. It's hard for me to deprive the little bugs, flies, and bees that love the tiny nectar-rich flowers.

It's also time to play Spot the Goldfinch as they stalk the developing seedheads of coneflower and Rudbeckia that are adding big showy grace notes to the otherwise deceptively delicate sprays of aster. They are very chatty, especially early in the morning, and I imagine they are getting caught up on the gossip.

We are down to the next couple of F.O.S.Rs in training (Fat Old Smart Rabbit) as the owls, hawks, foxes, and occasional coyote have picked off the young and dumb ones. Good eating, guys! A pair of feral cats (since moved on) did a number on the chipmunks, but they seem to be bouncing back a bit. Sigh. Oh, well, more fox food for winter.

The days are getting shorter and the trees are considering fall color. They aren't ready to give in, though, and plentiful September rains have likely pushed them back to October and November. So in the meantime, I'll pet the bumble bees in the asters, plant the odds and ends, and ponder what bulbs to tuck in here and there.