An October Garden

In my Autumn garden I was fain
To mourn among my scattered roses;
Alas for that last rosebud which uncloses
To Autumn's languid sun and rain
When all the world is on the wane!
Which has not felt the sweet constraint of June,
Nor heard the nightingale in tune.

Broad-faced asters by my garden walk,
You are but coarse compared with roses:
More choice, more dear that rosebud which uncloses
Faint-scented, pinched, upon its stalk,
That least and last which cold winds balk;
A rose it is though least and last of all,
A rose to me though at the fall.

Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 – 1894)  http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/an-october-garden/

Suddenly this poem sums my garden up.  A week or so ago all was still (unseasonably) warm and very (unseasonably) dry.  Suddenly the rain has arrived, cold and mist too and Autumn is definitely upon us. 

As I walk around my garden the roses are still there, some with their buds balled by rain and some flowering still quite heartedly.  There are now many asters in my garden as I have bought quite a few this year, and I have several cuttings/root spurs in the greenhouse making even more plants for next year. 

I have wandered around a couple of aster gardens in recent weeks, at AvondaleNursery and at Picton and I have formed opinions about asters.  Actually I have reinforced my opinion about asters and I shall take the opportunity to share my very personal view with you.

(Avondale)

I like them tall.  There it is, I have said it.  I am not keen on any below knee height.  You can call this being short-ist and I think it actually is.  I look down on the lower asters and, well, I look down on them.

You can tell me they are useful in small gardens, I will fundamentally dispute this as they look equally short in a small or large garden.  Height goes up not along.

You can tell me they have their place and there I will agree with you, they do and that place is not in my garden.

But you say, this is unreasonable, we disagree, we think they are wonderful.  Well that’s great, as I said this is a very personal view and applies only to me and my garden.  I am not saying no one can or should grow them but I have yet to find one I could give a home to.

Gosh that turned into a bit of a rant didn’t it? and I didn’t even mention the ‘pink flowers look like prawns’ conversation.*

*not all pink, but some specific wishy-washy pinks apparently.  I rather link some pinks but I now I wander around my garden looking for prawns. (thanks T)