A Sad Little Calico Aster

 I didn't sleep well last night and have had a headache all day. Sigh... but I have to keep after a couple of things with solid deadlines, so I've been working on that.

I think I mentioned last year that some calico asters have planted themselves just outside the rock garden fencing. I'm allowing them to stay. But they sure didn't advance their cause much this year. This is the best one.

Here's an older picture of a fuller one.

That's about all for today. Will see what else I can talk myself into doing this evening.

See Calico Aster

Playing in the Big Bed

We won't say that I have been doing any serious gardening in this space, but I have been playing and pulling weeds. Of course, there is still a ton of autumn olive to remove.

The really bad news is that I found out last month that this isn't even on our property. The 20-acres between us and the cemetery changed hands again, and for the first time the lines were actually surveyed. I can only hope that the new owners care as little as the previous owners over the past 54 years.

If it turns out they do care, there's not a lot down there that couldn't be moved in a hurry, but I would lose the work of doing all the edgings and steps. I've shown you this before, but this is what it looked like around 1999.

Friend Penny from bell choir was giving away some Asters and gave me a bucket full. They seem to have taken the transplant well. Of course the real test will be next year. She thinks they are Bushy Aster, but the leaves aren't right. I'll work on that. I suspect they may be Blue Wood Aster. I'll need to spend more time with the leaves and other details.

Another plant that used to come up on its own all over in that garden was wild Columbine. There are a few leaves, so I'm trying to be careful and not pull them up.

I'm not really trying to make it a native plant garden, but these are nice additions. I know there are a lot of daffodil- picture from this spring with many of them in bloom is in the link below. Lots of iris, which need more sun to be happy. I found, of cousre, more grape hyacinth- they are everywhere, but also some clumps of Snowdrops and a few clumps of Star of Bethlehem that have survivied.

When I was putting in the aster, I also uncovered some bulbs I don't recognize, so they will be a surprise. Anyone know? Even an internet search wasn't helpful. Seems like that elongated shape should be an aid to identification. I'll bet these are plain old orange ditch lilies. I didn't think there were any down there, but it's possible. They are too long for the lemon lily.

I also found some little puddles of tiny bulbs that I don't recognize. Put them back in the ground too. We shall see what they become.

Woke up slow this morning, but then I got into gear and worked on things.

See Rain, Not Quite Singing in the

A Few Notes from the Rock Garden

 The 'Autumn Joy' sedum still isn't in full bloom, but it looks like it's going to be a dusky deep pink. The other tall sedum, the one with the light purple blossoms is still lovely.

Calico asters have started coming up along the edge of the rock garden, and they are going to get to stay. I think that would look nice if they would establish themselves.

This is the last of the plants I bought at the Garden Club sale. It's another ice plant. This one is 'Granita Orange.' It may be a little less hardy than the other two, but I guess I'll know in the spring. I tore out some of the Sedum sexangulare to put it in. There's way too much of the other.

Finally, just something I never noticed before. I'm pretty sure these are grape hyacinths. They are sprinkled hither and yon all over the rock garden. But I didn't realize they can put up leaves in the fall if the weather is mild. It doesn't hurt them at all. Actually, I'm glad to see some here, because I also added some crocus bulbs to this space earlier this summer. Those should look nice together in the spring.

In other news: I finished marking the edits to How to Hike... Tomorrow, I'll start actually making changes in the file. I have one more week to get this done without a fee. Shouldn't be a problem.

I walked to the Post Office.

Miles walked in 2024: 439

See Sunshine Between the Sprinkles

Most of the New Plants

 There's purple in my future, no doubt about that. But the only purple you'll see today is my nearly yearly sharing of New England Aster, growing on a roadside.

The rest of what you'll see are all but one of the plants I bought on Saturday at the Mason County Garden Club sale. Three of them will have purple flowers. That wouldn't have been my first choice, but I was specifically looking for tallish plants that would tolerate at least partial if not full shade. I came home with 6 different plants for what I would have paid for the one I was going to order. So, I'll see what is happy here. The ones I'm showing you today have all gone in the Front Bed.

The one I put in the deepest shade is 'Winky' Columbine. It will also get the tallest. This is one of the large ornamental columbines, and the flowers are purple and white. Spring bloomer.

I got a big pot of garden allium (onion), and split it into three clumps. This one, I think, will not get over 2 feet tall (there are giant ones). It went in partial shade at both ends of the front bed. Purple balls of flowers in spring.

The other purple bloomer is Lirope. This gets spikes of purple flowers in the fall. I've never tried any of this, but what the heck. It went in mostly sun with a little shade. There are two species, and I don't know which this is, so that will be next season's surprise. It gets about 18" high. I put it in a space that is kind of empty once the daffodils die back. That should work pretty well.

I have wanted to get another Brunnera. This is the 'Jack Frost' that I have and is established. The one I like best is 'Frostbite,' but oh, well. Not only do these have bright foliage, but in the spring they have tons of tiny blue flowers.

The new one isn't looking very happy yet, but it was probably only dug up last week and then moved twice. The other plants were well-established in their pots. I think they were dug earlier in the season. (and some of the plants were donated by garden centers because it's the end of the season)

My other plant for the front bed was a freebie because it was so sad. This is a 'Mouse Ears' hosta. Indeed, it had two leaves, and one of them fell off on the way home. But if the root is OK, it will be back in the spring. The leaves are small but rounded, and the color is quite blue.

In other news: I worked in the morning and part of the afternoon. I walked the summer taxes to the town hall. Total walking 4.2 miles

Miles walked in 2024: 425.1

See Purple Parade

Will Walk for Vegetables

 I've been trying really hard to walk almost every day, but it's hard to motivate myself to do roads. Also, I'm trying not to drive very far. Today's compromise was that I drove part of the way to a friend's house and then walked there and back to the car.

I went for a few tomatoes, but look what I came home with! Tomorrow... soup.

Neva did not want to be in the picture, but here is a tomoato plant. I'm telling you, there are not many smells better than veggies picked fresh from their plants. She wanted me to take more, but I don't want to get more than I can reasonably eat.

She also has a beautiful row of zinneas.

Moving on to local agriculture. Here's an asparagus field gone to seed. Very common here- lots of asparagus farms.

And more on the ever mysterious passtime of identifying wild asters. These are very similar except the white one has smaller flowers than the blue one. Yes, the second one is light blue. The blue of flowers often doesn't register well with a camera.

The white one is probably Small White Aster, formerly Aster vimineus or Aster racemosus, now Symphyotrichum racemosum. The flowers are larger than Calico Aster and the leaves are different. The stems are smooth and dark purple, and the leaves tend to curl downward at the edges. I'm never sure I'll remember all these details. And... so much for my opinion. The Michigan Herbarium does not show that species in Michigan. Possibly Panicled Aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum although that one does not seem to have purple stems. I guess if I really care, I'll need to go back with a hand lens and take better pics.

Aster ID is fraught with issues. Decided I would leave my thought process as instructive.

Pretty sure this is Bushy Aster Symphyotrichum dumosum. Anyway, it's a pretty shade of light blue.

You know how it goes. I worked in the morning on projects, then walked in the afternoon. My gardens are being watered right now. I'm sure I won't walk as far tomorrow, but today I did 7 miles. Thankfully, there were patches of shade on some of the roads because it was pretty warm. Oh, and I did a load of laundry.

Miles walked in 2024: 418.2

See Bushy Aster

Plant Day & a Bug Bonus

You know it's a good day when there is a new-to-me plant. And I have two new ones!

This is Lance-leaved or Panicled Aster, Symphyotrichum lanceolatum. The flowers are small and really similar to Calico Aster, but the shape of the plant and the leaves are not. I may not have been paying enough attention before. It's supposed to be really common, but variable and maybe hybridizes. This tightly panicled shape seemed new to me.

The other new one may also not be brand new. But I certainly noticed it more carefully. This is Persicaria sagittata, Arrow leaved tearthumb. It's one of the knotweeds or smartweeds. Actually a semi-quality plant. Coefficient of Conservatism is 5 (scale 1-10). Supposedly, the arrow-shaped leaves are a bit unusual. Flowers range from white to pink. I may have seen the pink one with less pointed leaves. Note the deep cleft where the leaves join the stems. It's viney and clingy. The flowers don't open much more than what you see here.

Now for some plants that weren't new, but are fun. This is Beechdrops, Epifagus americana. I've shared those before. Here they are in winter.

The alien orchid, Helleborine, Epipactis helleborine, looks like a droopy, sad little mess until August when it perks up and blooms. Here are the seed pods.

Here's a more familiar one. Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum, in seed. The first picture shows a seedpod cluster that is turning from green to red and a tiny green cluster, just starting.

Here's one where the color is fully developed, but it's an odd angle. The plant had fallen over and I'm looking down at it.

Lots of lovely fall flowers. We also saw some nice gardens, but I try to limit the pictures a bit. But I can't skip the bonus section.

BONUS SECTION: praying mantis

Do you remember (probably not!) in September of 2009 I told you I caught a fairy? Well, today Marie saw one and said, "What is that!?" And I knew the answer- it was a praying mantis. I got one picture today in flight- very poor- it's the white blob at the top center. The picture in the link is slightly better. They fly somewhat upright- a very distinctive posture. If you ever see one you won't forget it.

But here is the handsome guy between flights. I did some research. Not all mantises develop wings, but the ones that do are usually males. I also learned that only about 80% of males get their heads bitten off after mating.

Conservation Trail, 7.8 miles today from Cattaraugus Creek to Matteson Road.

See What Happens When You Wear Long Pants

Not Flat-topped Flat-topped White Aster

  I'm going back to the aster I had so much trouble identifying from Baker Sanctuary. It was everywhere- the most abundant aster on the property. In fact, probably the only blossom more abundant there was Canada goldenrod. But, which aster is it?

There are hundreds of asters to choose from. Fortunately, only 29 are recognized in Michigan Flora. That helps a lot. It's a confusing group of flowers and I confess that I'm only comfortable identifying a few of them without a book in hand. But maybe this one won't fool me again. It's quite distinctive, once you ignore the common name.

Most of the field guides say that a flat-topped cluster of flowers is distictive for the species. Does this cluster look like it has a flat top to you? Me neither. So, I kept skipping over the rest of the description.

In the end, I had to come back to several other characteristics. It has few rays (the white "petals" that really aren't petals. The actual flowers are the tiny things in the center).

The leaves are neither toothed nor smooth-edged. Rather they are just sort of rough. Where the leaves join the stem they neither clasp nor quite have a short stem. I'm not sure what's up with the purple stems. It's not listed as a characteristic of this aster in any books I have, however, it sometimes indicates heat stress, so maybe it just happened in this dry hot summer.

There you have it. Doellingeria umbelatta, Flat-topped white aster. One of the most common in Michigan.

In other news: I am not very proud of myself. I did write a chapter, but then I started reading a book. A really good book. It's been a while since a book has grabbed me and wouldn't let go. So, I wasted a beautiful day to have gotten some work done.

See Baker Sanctuary

Aster Assortment

  Here are two more new plants from my New York trip. They are also both asters. They both have "wood aster" in their names. Don't be fooled by common names. Since the huge genus Aster has now been split into quite a few genera, these two are not even in the same genus.

First we'll do the Whorled Wood Aster. I knew this one right away when I saw it, even though I hadn't seen it in real life. It doesn't grow in Michigan. More typical of higher elevations and eastern mountains. Sure enough I saw it in the Adirondacks. The leaves don't really grow in whorls, but are staggered around the zig-zag stalk so that they look whorled. The flowers aren't quite open, and it may have been droopy because things were dry. All the Oclemena Asters appear whorled. Now for the White Wood Aster. I struggled a little with the ID for this one, but it was in Huckleberry Bog, so I needed to get it right. It is now Eurybia divaricata. All the Eurybia have woody rhizomes and alternate leaves. I suppose I'm going to have to start learning all these new genera and their differences. It actually might help sort out the confusing asters, but all the new taxonomy is enough to make your head spin.

This one doesn't have its flowers open either. That would have been helpful, because it has fewer rays (the things that look like white petals) than some asters. What it does have is medium-sized heart-shaped leaves on long stalks.
This one doesn't grow in Michigan either, although the Big-leaf Aster which looks similar is a cousin. But the leaves are bigger. Makes sense, right?

I wish the flowers would have been open, but they weren't. It's supposed to have a yellow central disk flower with the white rays. In other news: I wrote another chapter today, and did a lot of getting ready for the vendor event this weekend. Needed to clear off my big folding table. That was a chore. Then I worked on my botany web site, sorting all the Asters and getting them in their new genera.

See Bushy Aster

Late Bloomers

 
Today was cold and rainy as predicted. I decided that writing was called for whether I felt like it or not. That's why I call myself a writer, right?

So I'll share the ordinary flowers blooming on my walk the other day. Ordinary is not to say unworthy. The bright colors are always welcome.

Calico aster:



Butter and eggs (a toadflax):



New England Aster:



I finished the chapter I was working on before the hike, which was a long one, and seems like a big accomplishment. Here's a teaser from "Misaabe-wijaw Walk."

Mesabi, Missabe, Misaabe, Messabe. Choose a spelling. They all fit into our walking and word game obsessions.

We begin with a road walk from the Chippewa National Forest to Grand Rapids, and end with a road walk from Virginia to Snowbank Road. In the middle are 82 miles of paved trail. Not a single piece of forest treadway where unmarked forks can be mystifying. Still, it’s nice to have direction at junctions.

The Mesabi Trail has yellow gateways at the entrance and exit to each community. We track our progress as we pass beneath each soaring arch where a Mesabi emblem and the name of the city or village is displayed.

The roads we are taking are almost all routes clearly marked with state or county numbers. Occasionally, we walk parts of scenic drives such as the Great River Road. We know the turns well from Ely to the Snowbank Road trailhead. We just drove it in May, so there is no problem finding our way there. And, remember, each day we are putting out a car at our start and end points. We have plenty of practice finding our way.

The mile marker posts on the Mesabi Trail are like stars on a reward chart. It’s encouraging to see them mount up as we pass, 1,2...26...71...

There is no other news. I focused on words.

	See Butterflies Like Purple
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