Atop the magenta aster, pictured above, a honeybee, sporting a small collection of yellow pollen on its leg, sips nectar. A frenzy of mostly bumble bees work the aster blossoms as October mornings warm. An occasional day-flying moth joins the intoxicated party. The plant, a New England American-aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)—perhaps a selection of forgotten origin—is composed of a four-feet-wide circle of a dozen and a half sturdy, five-feet-tall, branching stems brimming with flowers. Located in full sun outside our kitchen’s floor-to-ceiling windows, and near an entryway, assures constant interest as summer turns to autumn.
Native New England American-aster and New York American-aster (S. novi-belgii) are well known to gardeners and widely recommended for the home garden.
Lance-leaved American-aster (Symphyotricum lanceolatum) is shown below with Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima) that is going to seed. Also known as Panicled aster—recognized by its open pyramid-shaped top—there are many bushy stands currently blooming in moist and wet meadows. These plants are also magnets for bees and occasional moths. How many insects do you find amidst the small, white blossoms in the photograph? Half a dozen?
I experienced the rigor and delight in learning to identify asters and goldenrods in a recent field workshop led by botanist Ted Elliman at Jug End Reservation in South Egremont. Berkshire Botanical Garden (BBG) sponsored the program. For future program announcements, go to BBG’s website. To learn more about native wildflowers, refer to Ted Elliman’s “Wildflowers of New England,” a Timber Press Field Guide. The book is a pleasure to study in the field or at leisure. Find it in the BBG Gift Shop through October 31 and anytime at the Timber Press website.
Experimentation in the polyculture garden nurtures our sense of wonder and aesthetic appreciation while growing delectable food and creating healthy soil. As a no-till gardener, I have adopted the practice of not pulling out the roots of plants that bear their crop above ground. Instead of disrupting the soil ecosystem, roots are left to decompose in the soil, feeding soil organisms. For example, healthy bean, tomato, and squash vines are cut at ground level. Then, the ground is prepared for winter cover crops. The roots do not get in the way.
Now, to the purple cauliflower in the picture. This summer, I grew purple cauliflower from seedlings purchased at a nursery. As I was poised to harvest a beautiful head from its stem, I recalled that, in 2021, I had observed miniature cabbages sprout from the cut stems left—but not yet cut at ground level—after cabbage harvest. It occurred to me that, miraculously, a new cauliflower might grow if I cut the purple head off above the rosette of leaves attached to its stem and root, leaving them in the ground. We enjoyed eating that cauliflower. After a while, sprouts grew on the remains of the plant. I removed all but one sprout. The cauliflower in the picture is second growth!
Go to the article that introduced cabbage-stem sprouts to find garden tips from the prelude to the latest Berkshire killing frost in half-century, November 2021.