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rouge21_gw

I am going to keep this aster monch frikartii

A couple of weeks back I was thinking of replacing this aster with an Agastache or something similar. It has been in bloom for many weeks but in the last few days this one plant has really come into its own. It is now a keeper.

Comments (13)

  • mulchmama
    10 years ago

    I am in love...and am going to get that. Thanks for sharing that!

  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    10 years ago

    Very pretty! Lovely color! Definitely a keeper. (Awesome pathway too, by the way!)

    Dee

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    10 years ago

    That's certainly a nice patch of them! I find they're sort of weedy-looking in the early summer, before they bloom. I have, several times, ripped some of them out when doing a summer tidying-up - only to think 'Monch is around here somewhere; where is it...?... OOPS! :-) Once they're blooming nicely, they are valuable additions to the garden.

  • Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
    10 years ago

    I agree that asters can look pretty scraggly before they bloom. I've placed a bunch behind peonies so the peony foliage is center stage until the asters come into bloom, I love asters for late color, but placement is tricky.

    That is a gorgeous clump you have there. Love the brickwork. Can you get us a shot for further away?

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    10 years ago

    Very pretty! Also a fan of the brickwork.

  • jadeite
    10 years ago

    Moench is one of my favorite perennials. I've put it in gardens in the Midwest and New England, and now in the Southwest. I like to pair it with Coreopsis Moonbeam for a long season of bloom. I know some find one or both floppy, but for me they have both been great performers. Yours is a gorgeous example, and beautifully placed.

    Where will you put Black Adder?

    Cheryl

  • sunnyborders
    10 years ago

    Lovely, Rouge.

    Find Frikart's aster flops a bit, but if it likes the spot it can live for years.

    As you say, it has a very long bloom time (late summer, into the fall: maybe six weeks).

    Like the colour of 'Mönch'; same as 'Wunder von Stäfa'.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Love the brickwork. Can you get us a shot for further away?

    Of course thank you (and pm2) for the compliment but I really don't like this interlock. It was there when we bought the home (it is probably 15 years old) and if you saw more of it I think you might see that the 'brick' and the layout are dated. When I have some extra monies I will bring someone in to advise us re a new interlock and layout..

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Where will you put Black Adder?

    Cheryl, I removed a young and so far unproductive "Bombshell" hydrangea to free up some space for the Agastache.

  • sunnyborders
    10 years ago

    Juggling, another requirement for gardening with limited space!

  • Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
    10 years ago

    Rouge, I think your gardens work well with the interlock and the green in between them gives it an aged look. Maybe you're critical of it because you're too close to it and have to live with it when it's not your first, or maybe even second or third choice? I think it's always nice to have defined pathways around nice beds which that does offer you. But I know what you mean when you're not satisfied with something and have other visions of what it could be. What are you thinking of replacing it with? I'd be interested to see the layout and your thoughts on what's not working for you. I had the luxury of building a house and installing gardens and hardscape from scratch so didn't have to work around something that I didn't feel was quite right for my tastes,but I can imagine how you feel about it.

  • christinmk z5b eastern WA
    10 years ago

    Beautiful Monch. I had one years ago and loved it. It got paired with 'Chocolate' Joe Pye and it made for an interesting color combo. Unfortunately, the claims of it being short lived were all too true for me. Think mine made it to four years. ;-(

    Ps. I also really like your pathway Doug ;-)
    CMK

  • Ispahan Zone6a Chicago
    10 years ago

    Very pretty plant! I don't grow 'Monch' but have been curious about it. I love asters, for both late season spectacular color and their attractiveness to pollinators. But I do agree they can (do?) look weedy and rangy before blooming, even when trimmed back during the summer.

    Perhaps the worst asters for me in terms of unattractive pre-bloom growth is Aster cordifolius and its cultivars. Rangy and lanky would be charitable words to describe them. But when the pale lavender or mauve blooms open in a shady setting, all is forgiven.

    For me, asters with overall best shape include Aster divaricatus and cultivars of Aster oblongifolius. This latter species responds very well to pruning and shaping.

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