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Flowers Around Town
in October 2024
It started in the days of covid-19. Everyone was told to sequester at home. For me, a difficult part of the restrictions meant I could no longer go to visit gardens. Very sad. To make me feel better, Paul would drive me around town to look for flowers in people's yards. I did my best to photograph out the car's window, with an occasional escape out the door for an image while huddled against the car. Now vaccinated (multiple times, in the years since) I am still watching for flowers in other gardens. But now I can comfortably get out of the car and even cross the street.
Friday, 11 October
The Latin name for this native species used to be Aster. Perhaps taxonomists who did not find enough new plants to name deciding instead to change names on others. But somehow the changed names often seem to be longer, more difficult to pronounce and spell. But aster as a common name has remained unchanged.
Aromatic aster, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, is one of the latest asters to flower, often in flower
in October, sometimes into November. Once known as Aster oblongifolius, the common name refers
not to the flowers, but to the leaves which are aromatic when crushed.
On Route 12 / Frenchtown Flemington Road in Flemington, New Jersey.
Sunday, 6 October
Grown world-wide as cereal grains for fodder and human food,
Pennisetum glaucum, has several decorative varieties. Annuals,
they quickly present an attractive effect. Seen here in Frenchtown.
Wednesday, 2 October
This house on Route 12 in Frenchtown must have a gardener living here. I've been enjoying the flowers along the street between fence and sidewalk starting with daffodils in March which were joined by grape hyacinths in April. Then in May, ornamental onions, Allium aflatunense 'Purple Sensation'. Summer brought a tapestry of annuals and tender bulbs.
Zinnias in shades of pink and rose blend with other annuals. Good as cut flowers too.
Dahlias are a tender summer flowering bulb that cannot tolerate Garden State winters.
Easy to dig when frosts arrive, clean and pack away to store over winter as dormant tubers.
Not every flower blooming here are in shades of pink. Solidago adds sunny yellow.
And speedwell . . . shall we call it mauve . . .
A nod to the season, there are pumpkins on the steps. Rather than orange most are biscuit pale.
Tuesday, 1 October
The chestnut tree on Route 519 that I have been watching since June has ripened nuts.
Prickle-y husks (remind me of hedgehogs) have started to split, revealing glossy nuts.
The stringy, worm-like thing on the right is a remnant of the male flowers. Husk and nut
are the matured result of pollinated female flower. Of course this is a European chestnut
as American chestnuts are few and far between, thanks to the blight that eradicated them.
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