more on asters

 Although 'Monch' has been blooming for more than 2 months now, it is still putting on a show. Yes, it it looking a bit messy with all the faded flowers still there, and the new flowers are blooming underneath them rather than hiding them. But 2 months of bloom and still looking like this, I find impressive.

Messy, but pretty.

Showing up late to the party, 'Raydon's Favorite' began blooming last week. It has some of the most perfectly shaped flowers, nearly perfect pinwheels of lavender. The late afternoon sun makes it look more purple than in real life.  Flowers close at night. I've got to move mine out of the shade and into the sun, so that it will grow to its full potential, but after the verticillium disaster, I'm afraid to do so.