Say "Hello" to my great big friend, Aster tataricus. This Russian big boy towers over my head, over 6 feet tall. Here's a photo with a yardstick to prove it.
A. tataricus used to top out around four feet in my garden, but with all the rain we've had in the last year, it has shot up and spread out. I've started yanking big clumps of it, as it spreads by that horticultural horror, the underground runner. Aster tataricus needs no support in my garden and is the last of my Asters to start blooming. Gail, at Limestone & Clay, has also posted here about her A. tataricus (thanks for the spelling hint). She believes she has the cultivar 'Jin Dae' which is reportedly shorter than the species.
While we're on the subject of Asters, I just can't resist posting photos of my other ones. The American Asters have been rudely thrown out of the genus, like a crowd of boisterous drunks, scattering into factions out on the street. The sunny Asters are now Symphyotrichum and woodland Asters are now Eurybias.
This combination is the swan song of the front garden, the grand finale. The two New England Asters are S. novae-angliae 'Honeysong Pink' and 'Hella Lacey.' The blue on the right is S. laeve var. purpureum 'Bluebird.' This photo doesn't do justice to it. 'Bluebird' is a fantastic Aster. If I had to choose only one Aster, this would be it. Its foliage is so much better than that of the New England Asters, never getting mildewed or "ugly legs." In fact, I'd probably grow this plant even if it never bloomed. The blue green of the foliage sets off other plants wonderfully, and it turns red late in the autumn.
I'm not happy with my camera's inability to capture the colors of these Asters at the back of the long border. The one in the closest to the fence is actually a dark violet and the one in the front is a strong fuschia.
And now for a completely different color scheme:
S. n.a. 'Hella Lacey' and S. ericoides 'Snow Flurry,' with Solidago 'Fireworks' and the seedhead of a Liatris. See, I don't just have blues, pinks and purples.
There's also the white of Eurybia divaricata/Aster divaricatus.
Its foliage turns orange later in autumn.
This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago, when this volunteer Aster-thingy (possibly S. lateriflorum) was in full bloom. Yes, Asters do subtle too. I like the arching sprays of small flowers with the rounded shape of the container. Of course you can't actually see the shape of the container because it is being overrun by Lamium maculatum. I have to leave the Lamium, as it is an essential part of this green and white composition.
Do you think I have enough Asters? Well, I have to confess, I just planted another one, S. oblogifolius 'October Skies.' I'm ashamed to admit that it is, yes, blue. I could live perfectly happily if I never saw another Mum again, but it wouldn't be autumn without Asters.