Autumn Perennials

The sounds and scents of autumn are just coming into their own. Both annuals and perennials are at their height of glory. And my own garden is no exception. Having a stroll around over the weekend was intoxicating.The Artemisia lactiflora ?Guizho? has just about gone over but it still has that intriguing Artemisia scent. The Phlox ?David? is just on its last legs. Rigorous deadheading kept them going even longer than usual. I?m crazy about this plant: pure white blooms, never a problem with fungal diseases and divides up a dream.But the star of the autumn garden this year is Aster ?Little Carlow?. It?s a cross between A. cordifolius and A. novi-belgii. And, like other cultivars, it draws on the best qualities of both: hardiness and long lasting bloom. I love it. My friend Sondra Gotleib claims I stole them from her when we were hopping last year but I think not.What they don?t tell you about this plant, is that is sure isn?t little. It?s supposed to grow to 2 feet and maybe it does in crappy soil. In humus-rich soil, it grows closer to 4 feet. It?s huge, wide and a blast of rich lavender blue that?s a knockout.If I?d nipped it back in July, perhaps it would have been a big shorter. I never remember because they are just quietly growing in odd sunny spots. Then all of a sudden they are huge and glorious and lush and I can?t possible do anything but enjoy. I do keep them deadheaded because we are owed a nice long autumn after a dark an cold summer.I?ll be on the Steven & Chris show at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Tues) on CBC. We taped it last week and it was really fun. They got listeners to ask questions and I answered live to tape. Bit scary but Steven made it really very easy for me. I hope you get a chance to watch.