Greetings

Hello, fall. Nice to see you, aster.

A new plant, blooming in its second year here.

This is 'Raydon's Favorite' fragrant aster (the foliage is heavily aromatic when touched, but the flowers do not have any scent). I grew it in Connecticut and it was spectacular.

In my Connecticut garden

When I saw it routinely for sale at nurseries in Santa Fe, I was encouraged that it might do well here. So far it has. It's still just a little plant, but it is already showy. I water it a lot -- asters are wild meadow plants and roadside staples, but they aren't particularly dry loving.

It has rewarded my watering with a nice show and the promise of more and bigger to come. This is the way you greet fall!

Our two nights of freezing weather turned the yellow aspen leaves black, and the Virginia creeper vine along the fence is toast. Fall took things down a little early, but this aster is a bright spot right now.