Aunt Lou, Stokes Asters are a whole different beast. They have long, thin leaves that lay flat on the soil and form a circular rosette. The leaves of my stokes asters look fantastic all season, but I'm in a slightly different climate than you are.

Now, as for the plants themselves, I would suggest a shorter variety. I've tried the tall ones and I find the foliage doesn't look quite as nice on those...and I've got the darned Purple Parasols which I bought 4 years ago now...AND IT"S NEVER BLOOMED! The plant looks great, but it's never grown or bloomed. Klaus Jiletto and Blue Danube have the nicest forms I've grown...I"m trying Mary Stoker this year.

GGG

I've tried Stokesia twice. Both times I ended up pulling them. Blue Danube I think was one of the varieties I tried. They have nice flowers which are sometimes erect, but for the most part my complaints about the plants were as you stated. My neighbor grows Purple Parasol, and the plants are more rounded and upright then mine, but she tells me that they don't do a thing for her either. Lots of people say they like them however so you may want to try them yourself.

The best stokesia I've grown is called 'Honeysong Purple'. It's a beautiful flower with the nicest form I've seen in a stokesia.

I've shovel pruned other stokesia in the past (names escape me) and planted 'Blue Danube' two years ago, because I was told it didn't get floppy. Well it DOES in my garden. Out it goes this year.
Patti

I have never had a problem with Stokesia flopping. Both foliage and blooms are always upright. Have had this stokes aster since 2001 or 2002. Bought locally in very small pot.

I have heavy clay soil. Stokes is in an amended bed, but not exactly garden loam. Somewhat shaded by tree, faces south and a bit west, gets sun all afternoon, average moisture. This is Blue Danube. Color is close, but a bit washed out in places.

August 2003

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Following July just beginning to bloom - with Early Sunrise Coreopsis

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Gosh Leslie, my 'Blue Danube' never looked like THAT! Beautiful!!!! Maybe I should give mine one more year, I have it growing in exactly the same exposure and conditions that you describe. Maybe my soil is too rich? Also, it's possible that the plants next to it are shading it more than I realized. Or maybe I'm just a flop at growing stokesia that doesn't! (Though my 'Honeysong' looks great in another part of the property).
Patti

I grew Klaus Jellito and Mary Gregory and thought they were both really beautiful. With deadheading, they bloomed for months. The form was good and the foliage was fairly neat and tidy. Unfortunately both died for me after only a few years as did Blue Danube (I wasn't as fond of this one). Purple Parasols never survived a single winter.

Does anyone else have a problem with them being short-lived (other than you shovel-pruners who hastened their demise)?

Kate

hmmmmmm-----this is not looking like the right plant for the flowerbed I am working on----might try one or two in another bed though. I sure do appreciate y'all's advice and "Thank You" for the lovely pictures, Leslie.

I need a more uniform look for this bed. It is a 20 ft. long---3 ft. wide area along the top of a lovely old stone retaining wall [which is at the foot of a slope that goes up to a 140 some year old brick house]. I am planning on some vining/spreading petunias like avalanche or waves in the area along the edge of the top of the wall so that they can sort of drape over if they like. So it will be --top of wall---then hot pink or purpley petunias---then low center row of plants [no taller than 18" to 24" made up of pink-purple and or blue asters and or mums. Thinking about breaking into the asters and mums with an occaisional "Little Princess" white daisy and the lovely "Happy Returns" yellow daylilies for a bit of contrast. Then the outer edge border[next to grass] I would have "Blue Mink" ageratum or maybe Lamb's Ear. Would eventually like to put in yellow daffodils [for center area] and deep blue grape hyacinths on the outer edges for the spring blooming season---that way this bed would be in bloom all year round. :-] That would be happy!

If only my Purple Dome Asters had a longer bloom time. They have the perfect round even form and when in bloom---WOW! Anybody know of an aster with P.D.'s ht. and form that has longer bloom time? Asking for alot aren't I?
Thanks again, everybody!

Aunt Lou

How much longer do you want? Purple dome stays for a long time for me...but, it is a late season bloomer.

Hi,

I had Blue Danube and a purple variety, I forget the name at the moment. They were both gone by end of last summer. Maybe they do better in a warmer climate. Mine only bloomed for 3 weeks, then 1 or 2 blooms after that. Wasnt worth the garden space for me. The hummingbirds flocked it and the butterflies, that was the good part. Its foliage was ratty looking by mid summer, and it needed watered often. I do like the shorter varieties like Purple Dome, but they never fail to get mildew. So I am done with Asters! If you decide on one I hope you have more success! Happy Holidays,

Jen

michigoose---my purple domes last 3 weeks tops. I don't have any trouble with them disease wise and the size and form are perfect and the color and bloom power are incomparable. I just want them to bloom all of September AND October! Picky aren't I? :-] or maybe all summer and fall like they say aster frikartii/wonder of staffa does. If W of S wasn't 3' tall I would consider it. Anyway--with y'all's help I do know that the stokesias aren't right for this particular bed.

Sorry that asters don't work for you, TJsangel. I really love them. I am thinking about ordering "October Skies" [blue] and "Nesthaekchen" or "Malba" [pinks] and maybe "Snow Cushion" [white] this next year. They are all supposed to be about 18" high and covered with blooms in fall so maybe they would work where I thought about putting the stokesias. Their foliage is supposed to stay nice and bushy and fresh all season long.

I'll probably just have to work it out by trial and error---as usual. :-]

Thank you so much.
Aunt Lou

Just a thought on your border. In Stokesias place I put Amsonia Short Stack from Plants Delight. It stays short, has lovely light blue flowers in spring and then the foliage turns banana yellow in fall. I've been most impressed with this plant.
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Hmm..I'll have to think about that one. One thing I use for long term late color is dahlias, and I keep them pinched or use dwarf varieties. This won't take you past frost, but it might be something to think about.

Other than using foliage color, like the amsonia as was suggested above, I just can't come up with something off the top of my head which will bloom late season and bloom for 2 months....

Wow! A lot of great ideas! Thanks! I had not considered amsonia---that is one to look into. I had thought about dahlias though. Actually, now that I have scratched the stokesias, I am considering several plants and ideas for the center of this strip.

First off---do I want just one solid hedge of one plant? Makes a nice formal look----or do I want to use 2,3,or even 4 different types of plants---not quite as diverse as maybe a cottage garden but at least a variety. hmmm? All petunias on one edge is a definite. The outer edge will probably be all blue ageratum, lamb's ear, or alyssum.

Plants I am now considering for the center row are: Marguerite["Lemon Delight", "Moonlight",or "Butterfly"], Coreopsis""Zagreb", "Moonlight", or "Flying Saucers"], Salvia [nemerosa "Lubeca" or "Plumosa"], Sedum Spectable "Neon", Coneflowers["Kim's Knee High" or "Little Giant"], Caryopteris["First Choice"], ----also still in the running are the asters that I mentioned above, or yellow and or hot pink daisy or quilled mums, and"Happy Returns" daylily. From my studies this morning, most of these are long blooming and in the right height range and are the colors I want.

Decisions-Decisions-Decisions!!! :-] Fun! Studying my new catalogues and online sites all morning!

Hope you all don't mind my musings online here. Have really enjoyed everyone's input too. Thanks again!

Aunt Lou

I adore Stokes aster! I've grown Klaus Jelitto and have loved every stinkin' bloom since the moment I ever laid eyes on the plant many years ago. One word of caution: Can be touchy, I've lost some over the years for no apparent reason. They will not tolerate wet feet in winter, so keep that in mind when choosing location.

I am frustrated with the Stokes...several varieties. They really do need dead heading, and didn't tolerate that the weather was first very wet and then very hot...just bolted and blew anything that bloomed. When cut to foliage, they look good, but this is supposed to be a flower garden. So I am moving them to someplace where I can enjoy whatever short blooming season I tend to get, and use it somewhat as a ground cover filler.

Forgot to say that I absolutely love the blossoms! So I can't bear to just shovel prune them.

I am posting a picture of my stokes asters, but I am not sure which type it is. Honestly, I like them, but I find their bloom time to be short. The leaves are neat, but it's a short-lived bloom. I still haven't decided what to do with them next year because this year I have done all profusions in that border, working around the stokes. I'll probably move it because the bloom color is really pretty, even for a short time. Carrie

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Aunt Lou, I had to weigh in on the sedum. I have had sedum "Neon" in my garden for some years now, as well as "Autumn Joy." I have to say AJ is by far the better performer. It starts to develop the flower heads early in the summer, and they are a pretty pale green cluster at the top that's decorative even before it blooms. Then you have the bloom, and you can leave the seed heads all winter if you like. I have even gotten a few seedlings over the years. The clumps just slowly increase in size; I haven't even divided them, although I certainly could, and it doesn't seem to bother them.

"Neon" has stayed pretty much the same size, the flowers seem to last a shorter length of time, and they're nothing much to look at before they bloom. I really love AJ, but Neon is just okay. I see you're thinking of caryopteris too...I just planted it a couple years ago and it has been very pretty. This year it got some winter damage but I think it'll be fine.

Hi, Aunt Lou! Glad to see you're considering sedums, I was going to suggest it. There are so many different varieties, and they look good all season long, and work well with spring bulbs. Stewed Mountain Rhubarb is an interesting variety that I never hear anyone talking about. I also have AJ and Neon...I like both, but they do perform differently. For me, Neon is a lot less apt to flop than AJ. Matrona and Vera Jameson are both nice, and would look good near purple petunias.
Caryopteris 'First Choice' is a very nice plant. I have it paired with a white fall anemone, and Artemesia Valerie Finnis. The silver foliage is nice with blues/purples, but I don't know about in your zone...might eat you up house and home, lol!
Have a good time deciding!

This picture of Stokes Asters was taken about four years ago - before I learned how to sow from seeds (now all my borders are filled, with no spaces showing)... Anyway, I don't know which was this is, but it's grown huge and stays upright when in bloom and also evergreen all winter.

Carrie

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.... sorry - "don't know which ONE this is...

Carrie

Wow! Imagine my surprise at finding a bunch of new e-mails in my box about this old post! Ha! A very pleasant surprise too.

I never did get any stokesia---or sedum. Right up against the edge and top of this long native stone wall I planted creeping phlox----diff. shades of pink and blue and some hot pink. They put on quite a show this spring too.

This year for summer bloom I have planted bright pink verbena in between the phlox. Hopefull as they get bigger they will drape over the wall's edge.

In back of the phlox I planted a long row of Purple Dome asters. Fantastic! Last fall the purple display was outstanding. You could see that 50 ft. or so stretch of bright purple a long way off. They were in bloom at least all of the month of Sept. I am so glad that I went with them.

On up from the wall on the west side of the asters I have just planted dusty millers---spaced about 2ft. apart. In between these I plan on putting the little Rigoletto Dahlias that I started form seed. They are almost ready to put out. They are bright colors of yellow, orange, red, and pink. So from the wall's edge to the western edge with the dahlias and dusty millers with purple dome strip down the middle---I think it will be colorful all spring, summer, and into fall.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I also had pink tulips and yellow double daffs blooming this spring with the creeping phlox. It is a long 4 ft. wide strip but I am very pleased with how it has turned out and the goal to have something blooming there all year long---except winter of course------ has been met. Have been getting a lot of comments on it too. :-]

Want to thank everyone here for all of their input and plant advice. Thanks! :-] Just wish I knew how to do the digital camera/pics thing so that I could show you all what it looks like now.

Aunt Lou

Wow, what an old thread! I don't have "Klaus Jelitto" at this house, but I do have "Honeysong Purple", and I like her even better than Klaus. Fabulous rich color. Have them planted by purple poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) -- a dazzling combination!

How has this passed me by? I may have bought one, back in the distant past, almost certainly mistreated it, seeing it off to the composty afterlife in short order. Does it like good treatment (such as food or water)?

I am growing callirhoe involucrata too, after a long absence.

I don't find them to be particularly needy. They cannot stand wet feet, though, especially in winter -- good drainage is essential.

O, these might be a do-er in my dry garden. Cheers, mxk3