Mary, what a beautiful photo! I'm wanting to go over to Pine Ridge. I've never been there. I'm trying to talk my naturalist friends into making a trip with me. Did Mary Ann have asters for sale?

Monarchs are arriving here too. There are some big beautiful males in the garden. And I saw my second hookup yesterday. I think the week of north winds did the trick. I have a yard full today, and found a number of eggs. I think I'm in business!

Sandy

Hi Sandy,

Thank you for your nice comment on the photo. I noticed the same native Liatris blooming along the freeway while on my way to London, AR. I'm going to let the seed heads on my plants dry and see if I can be successful with seed germination this winter. I've never had luck germinating seed of this plant.

Yes, I believe MaryAnn did have several different Asters available. Don't they make nice color this time of year plus provide a much needed nectar source. I can't wait to see how this Peachies Pick does. It has some dried seed heads on it and I crumpled up one and sprinkled it in a mini greenhouse to see if anything germinates. Be happy to share some seed, if they're viable and come true from seed. My potted plant also has a fresh bloom, which I think is beautiful ... love to try new plants!

http://www.perennialreference.com/perennials/stokesia.html

Pine Ridge Gardens is having another open house in mid October. That might be an ideal time to consider driving over. The Open House dates are on MaryAnn's website.

~Mary

Here is a link that might be useful: Pine Ridge Gardens

I loved going to Pine Ridge Gardens. It was somewhat difficult to find, but what a find! My husband and I went there a couple of years ago and loved her setup. Like you, I spent way too much money, but it was for my butterflies, so it was worth it. Most of the plants purchased all those years ago are still hanging in there! The only ones that aren't are the ones that are not zoned for SE Texas. Live and learn.

It definitely is worth a weekend trip.

Mechelle

I'm jealous - I've always wanted to go to Pine Ridge Gardens!
I KNOW I would have spent too much money! :-0

The picture of the monarch is beautiful, Mary!

I've never tried 'Peachie's Pick' but then I have so many stokes asters growing naturally, my husband would think I was crazy for sure to order one! There are differences in flower color among the natives here, so I gathered seed from two of my favorite groups of plants - they have dark blue purple blooms - and scattered them, once again, in my "meadows". The only drawback to stokesia is that it only has one long blooming period. Still, they're worth growing, because the butterflies really love them!
Sherry

Oh my goodness - went to the Pine Ridge Gardens website!!! I want to go!!!!

I have released five monarchs (two females and three males) this week... lots of males in the garden before that. I now have eggs again and still have three in chrysalis form. :-) Pictures to follow...

~Laura

Beautiful!
We go down to Arkansas occasionally but haven't visited Pine Ridge. On the map, it looks like it's in the sticks and hated to ask my hubby to go so far out of the way. How big is the area where they have mature gardens that you can tour? I'd love to see it, especially in butterfly season. Their catalog says they have a swamp milkweed that was collected in Arkansas and is more drought tolerant. I think I need some of that. : )

I collected seeds from my Honeysong Purple stokes aster and winter sowed them. I had nine seedlings and when they bloomed, they were all the exact same color as the parent. It's one of my favorites that I've grown from seed. I've read that seedlings will sometimes be more tall and floppy than named varieties but I can't see that in mine so far.
I have a couple other varieties too (klaus jelitto and species) and they all bloom around May and June I think, not in the fall. Maybe if I deadheaded them they would rebloom.

Here is a link that might be useful: thread with pics of my seed grown stokes aster

I was curious so I looked up the bloom data for Peachie's Pick on the Mobot website and it shows a longer bloom time that goes much later into summer and fall than other varieties they have data for. That would make it a good selection for the butterflies. I think I'll watch for it myself.

Here is a link that might be useful: Peachie's Pick bloom data - Mobot

Christie,

Your Honeysong Purple stokes asters are beautiful! Now I'm more excited than ever to see if I can get some seed of Peachie's Pick to germinate. If my one growing plant produces blooms half as lovely as your's, I will be a very happy camper.

Yes, I think Peachie's Pick is supposed to bloom later in the season and over a longer period of time. That, the sturdy flower spikes and the beautiful bloom is what attracted me to the plant. If the seed is viable, I'll be happy to share the seed. I realize it takes longer to produce a nice sized plant from seed but I have so many plants in various stages of growth, I don't notice the waiting any more! :-) Always have something to check on and watch, which for me is half the fun of growing things. My problem is now I'm having to pull out plants to try other ones, as my small garden beds are full.

~Mary

The graph shows 'Peachie's Pick' blooming into Sept. and Oct., so that IS a long bloom period. Mine only bloom in the three summer months.
Sherry

Christie,

So sorry I didn't reply to your question regarding Pine Ridge Gardens Native Plant Nursery. If MaryAnn has public gardens, I'm not aware of them. She grows and sells unusual or difficult to find plants that are native to Arkansas and other states. On Open House dates, the gate is open during the advertized hours. Otherwise, you need to call and make an appointment to visit or take a chance she is there and can see you. Otherwise, you must order for mail or UPS delivery.

As to her location; she is only about 3 to 4 miles from freeway exit 74 but the last mile or so is on a narrow gravel road and the entry lane onto her nursery property is narrow and twisting. She has a nice, mowed grassy parking area once you arrive at the nursery. She also has a lot of larger potted native plants that must be personally collected as they're just too big to send commercially.

Her plants are well marked and during Open House; descriptive cards are placed with each plant grouping, so it's easy to know what you're looking at and what to expect regarding mature size and site placement.

~Mary