Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 SAUGUS GARDENS IN THE SUMMER Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener A s we contemplate the 20th anniversary of September 11, many people ask each other “Where were you when the attacks happened?” I was giving a talk at a garden symposium in Freeport, Maine, that morning. The hotel staff opened the meeting room door and asked, “Do you people have any idea what’s going on in the outside world?” and led us to the lounge area, where televisions were announcing the unfolding terrible events. As we all wrestled with our shock and sorrow over the next few days, tours of nearby gardens were the most comforting activities we could envision. The community garden behind St. John’s Rectory is thriving and donated 12 lbs. of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum, formerly known as Lycopersicon esculentum) to the food pantry on August 27 and 25 lbs. of tomatoes on September 3, as well as some hot peppers and radishes. They are growing quite a wide range of tomato varieties, including large red beefsteak tomatoes and cherry tomato varieties, such as red ‘Sweet 100s,’ heirloom yellow pears, orange cherry, and black cherry tomatoes. In the photo above, the brightest orange tomato is ripe and ready to be picked! Just like the sunflowers and others mentioned in last week’s column, the two most popular plants for the autumn garden, chrysanthemums and NAME THESE FLOWERS: We have a chrysanthemum and aster side by side on this porch. Can you tell which is which? Read this week’s article for the correct answer. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) WHITE WOOD ASTER: This flower in the Slater/Wilkinson garden thrives in shady spots. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) READY FOR HARVEST: Orange cherry tomatoes in the St. John’s community garden. Can you tell if any are ripe? (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) asters, are composite family members. Many of the most familiar chrysanthemum (Chysanthemum morifolium) varieties have fully double flower heads – so many ray florets that the disk florets are not visible. On the other hand, most familiar asters do have a traditional daisy shape in which there is just one or two rows of ray florets around the outer edges, and the disk florets are plainly visible. Among the new double forms of asters arriving in nurseries this fall are some which have so many ray florets that the disks are obscured, leaving shoppers confused as to which kind of plant they are looking at. Looking at leaves can help A POLLINATOR AT WORK: American painted lady butterfly (Vanessa sp.) on ‘Henry I Purple’ aster. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) – chrysanthemums have variable shaped leaves, but usually at least some are threeto five-lobed. Your nose will also be some help here – chrysanthemum leaves, especially if you rub them a little, will have a distinctive spicy scent that asters lack. The leaves on New York aster (Aster novi-belgii) are linear, with no lobes. On some other aster species, leaves closest to the flower are linear while lower leaves may be toothed on the edges and have a wider middle. Common wood aster (Symphiotrichum cordifolium) has lower leaves NEW ENGLAND ASTER: Here is one of the showiest native asters; it often grows to five feet tall. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) that are nearly heart shaped, and it is sometimes called heart-leaved aster. If you examine petal shapes closely, chrysanthemum petals are curved on the sides, while aster petals are almost straight. Finally, flower color can be helpful, although chrysanthemums have a wide range of colors – golden, orange, pink, red shades, pinkish purple and white – and asters may also have white, pink or purple flowers, but the purples tend a bit more to cool tones, while the chrysanthemums have warmer tones. Asters do not have yellow, orange or red petals. Chrysanthemums originated in Asia, but many species of aster are native to North America. In the photo above, ‘Henry I Blue’ aster (Aster novi-belgii ‘Henry I Blue’) has a blue flower while ‘Patty Purple’ chrysanthemum is more pinkish purple. Both genera have had some upheavals in botanical nomenclature in recent years, leading to scientific name changes. New Yor k ast ers (Symphiotrichum novii-belgii) are currently among the most popular fall flowers. These early fall bloomers arrive in nurseries with the early season chrysanthemums around the end of August. We commonly see wild New England asters (Symphiotrichum novae-angliae) in fields and meadows, where they attract a wide range of pollinators. It is also popular for bouquets. White wood aster (Eurybia divaricata) is very common in wooded areas and shady backyards, and I see it in many Saugus neighborhoods. Late blooming varieties of asters and chrysanthemums will bloom through much of November. Editor’s Note: Laura Eisener is a landscape design consultant who helps homeowners with landscape design and plant selection and placement of trees and shrubs, as well as perennials. She is a member of the Saugus Garden Club and offered to write a series of articles about “what’s blooming in town” shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was inspired after seeing so many people taking up walking.
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