A couple of months ago, the entire north side of the Swansboro Elementary School courtyard garden had to be bulldozed so that repairs could be carried out to the building foundation where water was leaking.  We dug up and tried to transplant as many of our perennials as possible.  Some of the asters we transplanted at my house next to the front porch.  At the time, I thought the plants looked dead and would never make it.  But amazingly they DID make it and are now blooming.  I just wish I had more of them.

Asters from Swansboro Elementary School

When I first decided a couple of years ago to try to plant a “butterfly garden” in my backyard, my friend Joyce suggested planting a climbing aster, Aster carolinianus, along the fence.  It has done well and is now coming into bloom for a second year.

Climbing Aster – Aster carolinianus

The skippers really like this aster.

Skipper on Climbing Aster

Finally, back to the small white asters which are attracting lots of bees.  I had a hard time getting this picture because the darned bumblebee wouldn’t stay in one place, so he’s a little fuzzy (photographically speaking as well as in real life).

Bumblebee on Small White Aster