Asters are in the composite or daisy family.  The species name for this one (lateriflorus) comes from the fact flowers are often “lateral” or on the sides of stems.  Long known as being in the aster genus, botanists have recently reclassified it with a much more complicated and still seldom seen name (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum).

Flowers are small, only about one quarter to one half inch wide, yet covering the plants with branching sprays in fall gives quite a show.  The small white asters have raspberry-colored centers, giving rise to the common name of calico aster.

The horizontal aster variety (var. horizontalis) has stems more in the horizontal plane, hence its name.  ‘Lady in Black’ has dark to purplish stems, and purplish leaves, which provide a nice contrast to the white flowers.  It is similar to the older cultivar ‘Prince’, only more upright.

While the horizontal aster may get to about two feet high and wide, ‘Lady in Black’ may get to three feet high and wide.  It may be kept shorter by pinching stems back by one third to one half in early summer.  Under ideal conditions, if too tall it may need staking.

‘Lady in Black’ originally comes from the garden of Herman Van Beusekom in Holland, while ‘Prince’ was introduced by Dr. Alan Leslie of Monksilver Nursery, England.  The calico aster species is native to northeastern North America, often seen as one of the first plants to come into abandoned pastures.  As such it is good for native plant gardens and meadow plantings.  It is also attractive massed in more formal gardens, or placed along walks.

Blooming best in full sun in the north, it will grow in part shade just with less vigor and fewer flowers.  ‘Lady in Black’ will have less purple color with less sun.  This species is found, and should be planted, in average to dry, well-drained soil.  It is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8, perhaps even colder.

Other than the mentioned possible pinching in early summer, this plant needs little care.  Being one step removed from the native species, it requires little fertility.  Applying a shovel full of compost around plants in spring as they emerge will help boost growth, as will an annual application of an organic fertilizer.  Compost or similar organic matter such as peat moss, especially at planting, is much more beneficial in clay or sandy soils. Plants will seldom need dividing, unless they are getting too large, or you need extra plants for yourself or friends.

‘Lady in Black’ combines well with black-eyed susan, red-leaved sedum, Russian sage, ornamental grasses such as red-leaved or blue-leaved switchgrass, interplanted with moor grass, or in front of New York asters.  Look for this choice recent perennial online or in complete garden stores and specialty perennial nurseries.

The most common use of basil is for cooking, such as in tomato sauce, pesto, or vinegars. But it also can be sprinkled over salads and sliced tomatoes, either whole or chopped. Actually, don’t chop the leaves, but tear them instead for the most flavor.

To make oil for salads, pound the fresh leaves and mix with a good salad or vegetable oil. If freezing the leaves, coat them with olive oil first. Leaves also can be dried and stored in salt.

In the landscape, don’t merely relegate basil to the herb or vegetable garden. Consider planting it in scented gardens, or use it as edging along a bed or path that you’ll brush past and release the aroma. Or try mass plantings of basil in a border, plant in decorative outdoor containers, or grow in pots indoors, if you have lots of light. In ancient times, pots of basil on the windowsill were used to deter flies.

Other uses of basil include the cosmetic. Put fresh leaves in a hot bath as an infusion, for example. As a tonic, steep a few leaves in wine for several hours. Or steep in water as a tea to aid digestion. A drop of basil oil on shirtsleeves will help counteract mental fatigue.

Common Basil, also referred to as Sweet Basil, grows at a moderate rate. Depending on which of the many cultivars you grow, plants can be either upright or mounded. ‘Green Globe’ is a compact mound, only about a foot high, and great for edging. The foliage is green to purple, again depending on cultivar, and distinctly aromatic.

‘Purple Ruffles’ is a popular cultivar with both purple foliage and ruffled edges to the leaves. The flowers are terminal, spike-like racemes that are usually purple or white.

Basil can be propagated from seed. Sow seeds eight to ten weeks before planting outside in a well-drained soil. Or sow directly in the garden. Your site should have rich, well-drained soil with plenty of sunlight for several hours a day.

Throughout the season, remove flower spikes to promote increased growth and branching. Pruning the plants every two to three weeks also will promote growth. Basil does not tolerate frost well, so if you want to overwinter, take stem cuttings late in the season. Thinking about growing basil? Then try one of these five main species of basil:

• Lemon Basil (Ocimum americanum) has a bushy habit, grows to two feet tall, and has an intense lemony fragrance.

• Camphor Basil (Ocimum kilmandscharicum) is an annual shrub reaching about five feet tall in a season. It becomes woody with camphor-scented leaves that can be used in sachets to protect woolens and as a tea for stomach aches.

• Tree Basil (Ocimum grattissimum) is similar to Camphor Basil and has fuzzy, lime-green leaves scented like pennyroyal. A tea of its leaves is used for colds and fevers, the leaves are burned to repel mosquitoes, and the thymol content of one cultivar makes this useful for wounds, gargling, and conjunctivitis.

• Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum or sanctum) is an annual shrub with spicy clove-like scented leaves that reaches two feet in height. It is the sacred basil of the Hindus, who use it in both cooking and medicines.

• Bush Basil (Ocimum basilicum)–also known as Sweet or Common Basil--is native to the Old World Tropics (India, Africa, Asia). In India it is believed to hold divine essence. In some Greek Orthodox churches it is used to prepare holy water, as it was found growing around Christ’s tomb after the Resurrection. In Haiti, Bush Basil is associated with a pagan love goddess named Erzulie, and in Mexico it is used in potions to attract lover

Alien trees may be beautiful, but native trees offer a unique advantage. They evolved here in northern New England. That means you can be sure they are hardy, are able to tolerate the weather and pest populations found here, and can make our united landscape look like it “fits.” They also provide food and shelter for our birds and small mammals.

If you’re looking for an evergreen, a shade tree, or a flowering tree for your landscape, why not try one of these?

Evergreens protect your property from wind and snow and provide year-round shade. Here are some species suitable for growing in this part of the country:

• Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) does best in full sun to light shade and moist soil. It reaches a height of 75 feet so does best at the edge of a refined landscape.
• White spruce (Picea glauca) requires full sun and moist soil. It grows to 60 feet, making it a good specimen tree or tall windbreak.
• Red pine (Pinus resinosa) does well in full sun and moist to dry soil. It can grow as tall as 80 feet high, which makes it a good windbreak in situations where drought-resistance is important.
• White pine (Pinus strobus), which can reach heights of 80 feet, makes a handsome specimen tree. It does best in a location with full sun and moist to dry soil.
• White cedar (Thuja occidentalis) prefers sun or light shade and moist soil. Under ideal conditions it can grow up to 60 feet tall, so it makes a good hedge.
• Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) adds grace to the landscape but does not tolerate drought or windy sites. It does well in sun or shade and moist soil and reaches heights of 70 feet.

Shade trees provide shade in summer. All do best in moist soils and full sun although Red maple and American hophornbeam also do well in light shade. Many native shade trees develop good fall color. Here are some of the ones I recommend:

• Red maple (Acer rubrum) grows 60 feet tall and develops excellent red fall color. It tolerates wet spring soil.
• Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) with its attractive orange-red fall foliage makes a beautiful large shade tree. Mature trees can grow as tall as 75 feet.
• Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) grows 70 feet high, develops striking white bark, and tolerates poor and fairly dry soils.
• American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) is a good tree choice for naturalizing. It reaches heights of 30 feet and tolerates some periodic flooding.
• White ash (Fraxinus americana) makes a handsome shade tree as it can grow to 80 feet and has good fall color.
• American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) develops into a good medium-sized lawn tree (about 40 feet high at full maturity).
• Red oak (Quercus rubra) reaches 75 feet high and has good red fall color.

Flowering trees add seasonal color to our landscapes in the form of flowers and fruits. Their small size makes them appropriate for any yard. They do best in full sun and moist soil. Some of my favorites include:

• Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) produces clusters of small white flowers in June. It tolerates light shade and grows 25 feet high.
• Hawthorn (Crataegus submollis) is a good choice for bird lovers. Its red fruits in the fall attract a number of different species of birds. This 30-foot high tree produces white flowers in June.
• American mountainash (Sorbus americana), another species that attracts birds, produces clusters of small white flowers in June and orange fruits favored by many birds in fall. It may reach heights of 30 feet.

March is the month to start many transplants, including slow-growing flower varieties such as pansies, lobelia, petunias, and verbenas. Be sure to use a soil-less mix to avoid damping off, a seedling disease common when using mixes that contain soil.

To determine when to start your flower transplants, count back from the date plants can safely be set out in your area. As a rule most flowers (and vegetables, too) need to be started about eight to ten weeks before transplanting time.

Ideal growing conditions for seeds include temperatures of 70 degrees F for germination, 50 to 60 degrees F for growth and high light intensity. Use cool, white, 40-watt fluorescent bulbs. Hang them about six to eight inches above the tops of the young seedlings, adjusting them as the young plants grow. Provide 14 to 16 hours of light each day.

March is the perfect time to prune fruit trees, ornamental trees, and summer-flowering shrubs, providing you do it before the buds start to swell. Wait to prune spring-flowering shrubs until they’ve bloomed, however, or you’ll cut off the buds and won’t get any flowers.

Always use sharp pruning shears. Make your cuts as close to the branch as possible as this will help the tree heal its wounds. Prune to provide good branch angles (about 45 degrees) and allow adequate air circulation and sunlight penetration. This is also a good time to remove branches and limbs damaged in winter storms. Just don’t mistake dormant twigs for winter kill and snap them off!

You don’t have to be Irish to buy a shamrock plant this month in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Shamrocks, a member of the Oxalis family, are easy to grow and are available at many garden centers and florist shops. Like most houseplants, they prefer a sunny location and need periodic watering to ensure an evenly moist soil.

If you have questions about starting seeds, pruning, or other March gardening activities, call the University of Vermont Extension Master Gardener Hotline at 1-800-639-2230.

The hotline is staffed by trained, experienced gardeners. Although hours are limited until the gardening season gets into full swing, you can leave a message on the answering machine and someone will get back to you.

Other activities for March: visit a sugarhouse for a taste of the 1999 crop; force crabapple, lilac, and forsythia branches into bloom; welcome bluebirds to your backyard by putting up bluebird houses.

Snow on the ground prevents injury to roots, which generally can’t withstand extreme cold. The roots of most landscape plants will be injured at soil temperatures below ten degrees F with more sensitive perennials injured at soil temperatures just below freezing. Snow acts as an insulator or blanket, as do mulches, and is one of the best mulches for winter protection.

But snow can cause damage, especially when deposited on plants by snow blowers and snowplows. Snow pushed or thrown over plants is denser than natural snowfall and tends to stick together. As it settles, it can rip branches from shrubbery.

Branches that normally bend will break in winter when they are frozen and brittle. This was seen by those in northern New England in the January 1998 ice storm. If snow is dumped on plants, it may be better to leave it than to try to remove it to prevent further breakage of the branches.

Of course, the best solution is not to cover plants with excessive snow. Foundation plantings are often more vulnerable to mechanical injury from snow or ice.

Snow or ice sliding off the roof may crush the plants below. One year such a snowslide even dented the heavy metal lid of my bulkhead!  If plants are already covered with deep, natural snow, this may cushion the impact of falling ice and protect the plants. If little snow is present, you can protect plants by placing teepee-shaped wooden frames over them.

If you are concerned about injury to your favorite plants from the settling snow, protect them by scooping the snow away from the plant. Then, with gloved hands, carefully remove the snow from the branches. Natural snowfall or windblown snow seldom result in plant injury. It’s usually the devices we use to remove snow that cause the most damage.

This winter, be careful when shoveling, plowing, or blowing snow. If you can’t remember where plantings are located, place posts with reflectors next to the plants.

If you are using salt on walks and drives, keep in mind that this, mixed with the snow and slush that is piled around plants, can leach into the soil and harm roots. Avoid piling salty snow near plants or on lawns. If this is not possible, use one of the environmentally safe salts such as calcium chloride or an ordinary, inexpensive garden fertilizer, sand, or kitty litter mixed with equal parts of “safe” salt.

This winter, play it safe. By using the right materials on walks and drives and extra care when removing snow, you can keep your trees and shrubs safe from snow injury.