Texture and Tiny-ness in an Aster

If a newly planted perennial made it through this summer in my garden, you can be sure that it's a tough cookie. And, believe it or not, I actually did have a couple that survived, despite the heat and drought. (To be bluntly honest, I also had quite a few that didn't!)


One new variety that I am particularly excited about is Snow Flurry heath aster (Aster ericoides 'Snow Flurry'), which I purchased from High Country Gardens. This is one of the daintiest little plants that I have seen in a prairie garden, but unquestionably it's one of the hardiest too. Here it is, up close and personal, in front of a rose verbena that is reblooming a bit this fall.

When I widen the photo out just a bit, I've got a rather pretty little vignette, with a small sand lovegrass that seeded itself into this corner, the rose verbena carpeting a fair amount of ground, and the Snow Flurry aster lightening the front edge with its pure white, dainty flowers. I especially like the contrast in leaf size that the Snow Flurry aster provides - so many prairie natives are simply "medium" in leaf texture.

The Snow Flurry aster is actually much smaller in scale than I expected, based on its description in the catalog, so I'll be curious to see what it does in less drastic years. For now, however, I'm enchanted, and I fully intend to order a few more to try in other spots throughout my beds.