Douglas asters erupt into bloom from late summer through autumn. Their purple petals and yellow centers decorate landscapes throughout western North America. Why not add them to your garden? Learn how to best care for these wildflowers alongside native plant gardener Jerad Bryant. Douglas asters pop up around the same time that goldenrods do. You’ll see purple-yellow aster-like blooms alongside large yellow flower spikes of goldenrods. Both of these native species attract pollinators like butterflies and bees, and they help local insect species that need resources. When you plant perennials like Douglas aster, you invite animals to return where they once were. Flowers lure bugs, bugs lure birds, and birds lure larger predatory animals. You feed the local food web by simply planting native flowers. This radical act will make your garden look gorgeous and boost your confidence as a naturalist. A naturalist is anyone who wants to learn about their local environment. All you have to do is put time and effort into studying it. You don’t need a fancy degree or accreditation! Simply plant native plants and create a wildlife oasis in your backyard. In the West, Douglas aster is one of the toughest, easiest to grow, and most beautiful species you can start with. Start with a few Douglas aster plants and watch as wildlife descends on them in droves. After seeing the benefits of one native species, you’ll want to plant dozens more! What Is It? Douglas asters are native wildflowers of western North America. Although aster is a part of their name, they are not true asters of the Aster genus. They’re a part of the Symphyotrichum genus, which includes other North American asters like Michaelmas daisy and leafy aster. These New World asters work better in our landscapes than non-native ones, as they appeal to the insects and animals that live on our continent. Consider subbing marginally hardy and non-native asters for gorgeous, frost-tolerant, and tough native species. Native Area Douglas asters are close relatives of New York asters and Michaelmas daisies. The western species grows from Alaska southward through California, and east to Montana and Idaho. It prefers sandy sites near bodies of water, forests, and open meadows. Find the plants growing where Canada goldenrods are, as the two prefer similar conditions. I often see this perennial poking out of the sand near the Willamette River by my home. It sprouts where the trees let sunlight poke through. The ample moisture near the riverside allows the roots to creep into new locations underground while the stems sow seeds aboveground, giving the plants two chances at spreading. Characteristics Douglas aster plants are leafy perennials with many qualities similar to European asters and daisies. They sprout hairy stems early with lance-shaped leaves. The leaves often have small teeth on the edges, and their tops and bottoms are hairless and green. This North American aster reaches between 8 and 48 inches tall, although it sometimes grows taller and leggy if it doesn’t receive enough sunlight. In late summer through late autumn you’ll see dozens of flowers open up on the stem tips. They have purple-blue petals and sunshine-yellow composite centers. Each composite center contains dozens of tiny flowers that form heads with multiple seeds after successful pollination. Leave the stems and seed heads and they’ll feed hungry birds throughout the winter. In cold zones with winter chill, this perennial dies back to the soil level. New sprouts emerge in spring as days lengthen and temperatures warm. Planting Because this is a tough perennial wildflower, getting it into the ground is simple. Your specimen will take off with new root growth shortly after planting and likely bloom this year. Seedlings may take longer to blossom and most likely will flower in their second year after growing successfully. Start seeds if potted plants are unavailable; otherwise, it’s easier to plant mature specimens from containers.

Culinary sage is more than an easy-care perennial herb that reliably provides you with aromatic sage leaves for cooking year after year; it's also an excellent companion plant for other garden crops. Here are 18 sage companion plants that will benefit and elevate your plants and garden as a whole. Companion Planting With Sage Good companion plants for sage fall into two broad categories: beneficial and good matches. Unlike other types of companion plants where benefits are mutual, in the case of sage the benefits usually go one way; sage is the one that is beneficial to other plants because sage itself is bothered by few pests. Sage aids in pest control by deterring certain pests from vulnerable plants and attracting beneficial insects and pollinators like butterflies and bees. In the second category of companion plants are crops that make a good match when planted as neighbors. These plants have similar growing conditions to sage, such as light, water, and fertilizer needs. The plants won't overgrow or shade sun-loving sage, and they don’t compete for space or nutrients. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! 01 of 18 Arugula Sage deters black flea beetles, a common pest of all members of the Brassica family. In leafy greens such as arugula, beetles chomping away at the plant is especially destructive. 02 of 18 Carrots Its strong scent makes sage an excellent companion plant for carrots. Its aroma masks the scent of carrot plants, so it's more difficult for carrot flies to find carrot plants. Carrot flies, also known as carrot rust flies, are small black flies that feed on the roots of carrots. 03 of 18 Kale Cabbage loopers, cabbageworms, and flea beetles attack all members of the Brassica family, and kale is no exception. The potent smell of sage with camphor as a key component tells pests to look elsewhere to breed and feed. 04 of 18 Radishes Though flea beetles feed on radish leaves and not on the bulbs, it is still a good idea to have sage growing as a companion near your radishes to deter the pest. Severely damaged foliage leads to stunted growth. 05 of 18 Broccoli Planting sage as a companion plant for broccoli is a way of biological pest control. The sage keeps cabbage moths away, and the fewer moths that lay their eggs on the broccoli leaves, the fewer cabbage worms will be on your broccoli later. 06 of 18 Brussels Sprouts Brussels sprouts are notorious victims of cabbage worms and cabbage looper moths. The moths of both can be deterred by sage plants nearby. 07 of 18 Cabbage Cruciferous vegetables, which include all types of cabbage, attract cabbage moths, which later hatch into voracious cabbage worms or cabbage loopers. As a deterrent, sage ranks top on the list of companion plants for cabbage. 08 of 18 Cauliflower Cauliflower is not the easiest vegetable to grow, partly because it is highly susceptible to cabbage worms and cabbage loopers. Sage plants help keep these pests away. 09 of 18 Collard Greens The holes in the leaves of collard greens are usually a dead giveaway that flea beetles have been feeding on the plant. The plants are also susceptible to cabbage loopers and cabbage worms. With sage as a companion plant, you can keep all three pests at bay in one fell swoop. 10 of 18 Bok Choi Bok choy, also known as Chinese cabbage, is a member of the Brassica family and attracts cabbage moths, which turn into cabbage worms in their larval stage, as well as flea beetles. Sage helps to deter both pests. 11 of 18 Kohlrabi Kohlrabi is a cool-weather crop, but that doesn't mean that there are no cabbage worms and flea beetles around. Sage works as a deterrent as long as there are fresh, green leaves on the plant. 12 of 18 Mustard Greens If you don't want the tender mustard greens to be riddled with holes from flea beetle feeding, plant a sage nearby. It will also help deter cabbage worms and cabbage loopers. 13 of 18 Turnip If you plan on harvesting tender young turnip greens, keep flea beetles away with a sage plant nearby. The camphor content in the leaves, which deters pests, decreases as the leaves mature so make sure to cut your sage regularly to encourage new, fresh foliage growth. 14 of 18 Strawberries There is more than one good reason to plant sage, preferably more than one, as a companion plant for strawberries. The strong scent of the leaves masks the smell of the plants for insects and predators. Plus, blooming sage attracts bees and other pollinators, improving the strawberry crop. 15 of 18 Lemon Balm Sage is a good companion plant for herbs with similar growing conditions, and lemon balm is one of them. It is also a perennial that thrives in full sun and requires little to moderate watering. 16 of 18 Oregano Oregano is considered a good companion plant for sage, especially in an herb garden with mostly perennial herbs. Both sage and oregano thrive in full sun and sandy soil and stand up to moderate drought. 17 of 18 Peppermint Peppermint is another good companion for sage because of similar growing conditions. However, because of its rampant growth, you need to keep peppermint from overgrowing sage, which stays much more compact and does not spread like peppermint. A good way to control peppermint is to plant it in a container with the bottom removed, which restrict its horizontal root growth. 18 of 18 Rosemary Rosemary and sage are a classic combo not only in the kitchen (and in song), but also in an herb garden. These sun-loving herbs are both members of the mint family and share the same growing requirements; once established, they are both drought-tolerant.

With little care and attention, hardy kiwi vines produce hundreds of pounds of small, fuzzless kiwis each year. They thrive in climates too cold for fuzzy-skinned kiwi vines, and they’re an excellent fruiting vine for gardens. Read on with PNW gardener Jerad Bryant, and you’ll soon have unlimited supplies of fresh kiwi fruit! One reason to love fruit is for nostalgia’s sake. As a kid, my mother would slice kiwi fruit with lunch. Whenever I bite into it, the tropical flavor catapults me back to those warm, fuzzy feelings I felt as a child. Kiwis are available at most grocery stores. Why buy them when you can grow them for free? Growing them at home allows for unlimited fruit on a perennial vine. With a ‘Prolific’ hardy plant in the backyard, you’ll never have to spend money on kiwi fruit again. When growing this vine, plan to prune, maintain, and limit its growth. Hardy kiwis are vigorous spreaders in the garden and benefit from maintenance similar to that of grapevines. What Is It? Hardy kiwi vines grow fruit with a similar flavor to those you find at the grocery store, although hardy kiwis are much smaller and fuzzless. They taste superb in fruit salads, smoothies, and preserves. They’re also the best kiwi for fresh eating with their edible skins. All kiwi vines share the genus Actinidia, and the hardy kiwi’s scientific name is Actinidia arguta. ‘Prolific’ is a self-fertile hardy kiwi that grows more compact than other kiwi species. This type excels in home gardens, as it can squeeze into small spaces and climb trellises. It doesn’t need a male plant to pollinate itself. Why are there male and female kiwi plants? Most kiwis are dioecious, meaning that each plant is entirely male or entirely female and that each produces flowers that match its sex. ‘Prolific’ stands out amongst other kiwis because it grows both male and female flowers. It pollinates other female varieties with its pollen. Rather than wasting space on a male pollinator kiwi that doesn’t produce fruit, plant a ‘Prolific’ hardy kiwi, and you’ll have garden space for other fruits and veggies. Native Area All kiwi species originate from eastern Asia and prefer growing in temperate and subtropical climates that match their home. In their native range, winters are cool, moist, and humid, while summers are warm, sunny, and humid. In wild forests, hardy kiwis climb on trees with their reaching tendrils. They use other plants for support to launch themselves into the canopy. Wild vines reach anywhere from 40-100 feet tall! As they grow, they twine themselves around other plants and become woody over time. This creates a strong, wooden base for hardy kiwi plants so they can climb higher and higher each year. Nowadays, hardy kiwi vines grow across the globe in temperate and subtropical zones. They require some chill hours in the winter and a long growing season, and they thrive throughout North America from New York to Oregon. Some species invade local forests on the East Coast where they escape cultivation. Avoid contributing to its invasive spread by harvesting all the fruit, and avoid planting this vine close to forests and natural areas. Characteristics ‘Prolific’ hardy kiwi vines sprout climbing new growth that turns woody with age. Much like how grapevines grow, these fruiting plants rely on other woody shrubs and trees for structure. They can support themselves. However, their growth and fruit production won’t be as optimal as when they have support from other structures. Hardy kiwi vines sprout round light-green leaves with whitish undersides. They create flowers that are creamy white, and they fade to a yellowish-brown color while the season progresses. ‘Prolific’ fruit is greenish-purplish and tastes like a mix of bananas, melons, and strawberries. When growing ‘Prolific’ vines, consider that they spread less vigorously than other varieties. They climb at least six or seven feet, so plant it onto an arbor, trellis, or archway for best results. Propagation ‘Prolific’ hardy kiwi is a specific variety, so propagate it with cuttings to retain the variety’s growing and fruiting characteristics. Growing hardy kiwi vines from seeds is a fun activity, but it leads to new plants that differ genetically from their ‘Prolific’ parent plant. Try sprouting seeds for a growing experiment, or take cuttings for reliable reproduction.