Love the wild ones too, Lucy.
They seem to be (classic?) purple here, with some white ones.
Along with the goldenrod, the fields and road sides are currently very attractive.

Thanks, Jo Ann.
Know what you mean.
I plant perennials closely and maintain closely placed plants.
As you know, over time, that's more work (particularly with perennials), but it looks nice almost immediately after initial planting.

Thanks, David.
Plant a lot of a magenta New England aster called 'Alma Pötschke'.
Just coming into bloom.
Will post pictures when it (and the lighting conditions!) are ready.
For me, the sequence of later dominant garden perennials goes garden phlox - then helenium (sneezeweed) - then asters (especially New England asters).

I am a "looks nice immediately" person.
When I turned 70 I was overcome with impatience.I dont do perennial or annual seeds for that reason.

Sounds like we must be twins, Jo Ann!

This afternoon: things thinning out, but still lots of colour in the garden.

Front:









Back:

Those are beautiful! What kind of asters are those? I just ordered 4 different Stokes asters.

sigh--I guess we are too much of a spring garden to have color like that.

Beautiful fall color

Thanks, All.

Susan, the magenta ones are New England aster 'Alma Pötschke' and the blue ones are smooth aster 'Bluebird'.
I like Stokes aster cultivars a lot, but find they're not so hardy here.

Think it's much easier to have neat spring gardens than a neat fall ones, Lucy.
Some of the fall perennials are very scaled up.

I particularly like the magenta New England asters, Jo Ann.
Think they go very well with purple, mauve and blue asters.

Magenta and Gertrude Jekyll:
Maybe repeating myself, but read a possible basis for her aversion to magenta in the garden.
A number of socially conscious people, during the Industrial Revolution, spoke against the new (then) industrially produced dyes,
their focus being on improving the lot of workers.
The second one produced was fuschine (magenta).

SunnyBorders said:Thanks, All.

Susan, the magenta ones are New England aster 'Alma Pötschke' and the blue ones are smooth aster 'Bluebird'.
I like Stokes aster cultivars a lot, but find they're not so hardy here.

Think it's much easier to have neat spring gardens than a neat fall ones, Lucy.
Some of the fall perennials are very scaled up.

I particularly like the magenta New England asters, Jo Ann.
Think they go very well with purple, mauve and blue asters.

Magenta and Gertrude Jekyll:
Maybe repeating myself, but read a possible basis for her aversion to magenta in the garden.
A number of socially conscious people, during the Industrial Revolution, spoke against the new (then) industrially produced dyes,
their focus being on improving the lot of workers.
The second one produced was fuschine (magenta).

Thanks Charlie, those 'Alma Pötschke's' are beautiful. I have a 'Purple Dome' and I just love the late blooms and the bright purple flowers. I purchased 'September Ruby' hoping for the Magenta color that you have. I just got it but It says this one gets 4 feet tall. But the Stokes will be shorter so I ordered 5 of those. I see what you mean about them not being as hardy. That's a shame!

I love Purple Dome too, Susan.
And it's such a pleasure not having to stake it.

Like you, my feeling is that if a perennial is not very hardy where one gardens, but is an attractive plant, it's still worth using it.

Yes! That's for sure.

Not a lot left in the garden.
Much already cut back.

Today:

Arend's monkshood and Persicaria ('Firetail' and 'Golden Arrow').



Obedient plant 'Vivid', phlox 'Nora Leigh' and smooth aster 'Bluebird'.



Aster 'Purple Dome'.



White wood aster.



Phlox 'Shockwave'.



Eupatorium 'Chocolate'.



Chrysanthemum 'Mei Kyo'.



Allium 'Ozawa'.



Filler/replacements added this September:

Aster 'Henry III Purple'.



Echinacea 'PowWow Wild Berry'.



The "Buddy Pumpkin" (named for Buddy the Cat - same proportions).



And friend.

Looks like you got some good fall bloomers!! I love the asters especially Henry III and Bluebird which I do not have. Your Purple Dome is huge, I might need to move mine after seeing yours. I think that Firetail and shockwave would be good possibilities for me. I am trying to add more late bloomers.
Is Obedient plant invasive in your zone? I like your pumpkin art and friendly scare crow.

Thanks, Susan.

Find 'Bluebird' very reliable and it spreads gently.
It's still in flower after the 'Alma Pötschke' 's finished.
The bees love both.

Good point about obedient plant.
It is quite aggressive here, but friend gave me some of the cultivar 'Vivid', which is not supposed to be so aggressive.
We'll see!

Thanks Charlie, that is good to know! You have a very beautiful garden.

It's been a long winter.

(Mar 12, 2014):


Today, the first snowdrop. (two weeks later than 2013).


And the first few perennials appearing as the snow and ice melt.
A Dianthus.

Almost all our snow is gone, until next time as they say in fairy tales.

I am happy for you both, this winter has been especially brutal especially for the north.

@SunnyBorders, congratulations on your snow drop, a sure sign of spring.

It has been a very long winter

Hi Lucy, Susan, Cinda.

I appreciate why "Arctic hysterias" can be associated with Arctic living.

Thanks, Susan; that's at least one bulb that escaped the voles.

Great quotation, Cinda.
Despite Susan's encouragement, at this time, I'd say our one snowdrop reminds me more of Horace's words concerning the mountains giving birth to a "ridiculous mouse".

But back to voles (meadow mice), it's mice (lots) and "ridiculous" isn't the right word.