Loose, lean soil facilitates drainage and reduces the risk of rotting.
Water
Ghost plants store moisture in their leaves and have excellent drought tolerance. When established, those growing in the garden won’t need water unless there is a lengthy drought.
Allow the soil in containers to dry out completely before watering. You can use a moisture meter to guide you.
If you live in a community with municipal water, you may find that mineral salts build up on the soil and sides of containers.
It’s not necessary to fertilize ghost plants. If you choose to do so, wait until they are at least a year old to avoid burning the developing roots.
Use a liquid product formulated for cacti and succulents diluted to a quarter or half strength in early spring. It should be low in nitrogen to avoid producing fast growth that results in spindly stems.
If you need a recommendation, I use Miracle-Gro Succulent Plant Food.
G. paraguayense cv. bronze, sometimes listed as ‘Bronze’ has brightly hued foliage that shade orange and red with ample sun exposure, but green in low light conditions.
‘Purple Haze’ is a hybrid of G. paraguayense and G. superbum, a pink-to-lavender species with yellow flowers. It has gray-to-lavender foliage and classic white flowers with red flecks.
Pair it with the species for a complementary pastel lavender and pearlescent gray-green display.
Variegated
The naturally occurring variegated form of the species, G. paraguayense f. variegatum, has white, purple/pink, and gray-green foliage.
The white flowers are speckled with red, crowning the eye-catching foliage.
Make tender, juicy shredded chicken in the slow cooker with just a few ingredients. This premade chicken can be used all week for meal prep recipes, as well as quick tacos or adding to soups, chicken salads, casseroles, and skillet recipes.
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It’s been hard for parents to get their kids COVID-19 shots recently, as well as for many healthy adults, since the CDC hasn’t weighed in with official guidelines for administering them.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images
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Remy Sweeney-Garrett desperately wants to get her daughters vaccinated against COVID-19. But so far that’s been impossible.
“I’m very worried, and frustrated,” says Sweeney-Garrett, 34, who lives in Seattle with her 9-year-old daughter Maxine and 18-month-old daughter Maeve. “And, yeah, I’m angry.”
Sweeney-Garrett hasn’t been able to get her daughters the shots because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has yet to issue final guidelines for administering them. The rules are necessary for the federal Vaccines for Children Program to start shipping the vaccines to doctors, health departments and others. About half of U.S. kids are eligible for shots through the program.
“I’m worried about my youngest daughter in particular having to go to the hospital because she is susceptible to respiratory complications,” Sweeney-Garrett says. “And it’s frustrating because I feel like this is within the control of the people in our government.”
The lag by the CDC is very unusual. Typically, the CDC acts within days — sometimes hours — because of the urgency of getting shots into arms before the winter surge.
The delay has created “a lot of confusion both among the public and even among providers around what the status is,” says Dr. Susan Kansagra, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
Sweeney-Garrett is far from alone.
“We have parents asking every day for vaccines. They want the COVID vaccine,” says Dr. Elias Kass, who’s the Sweeney-Garrett family’s doctor. “And we don’t have it. And we don’t have an ETA. We don’t have anything. We don’t want kids to be sick. We have the opportunity to prevent that suffering. And we as a society are blowing it.”
The CDC’s delay has also forced adults seeking vaccination to continue navigating an often confusing and frustrating patchwork of state rules that have, in many places, made it difficult if not impossible for them to get vaccinated too. Even though many states have taken steps to make it easier for people to get the vaccines, some still require prescriptions and some pharmacists are still turning away people who can’t document they meet new eligibility requirements.
“It’s a mess. And it’s an easily avoidable mess,” says Dorit Reiss, who studies vaccine policies at the University of California, San Francisco. “They chose not to take action. I think it will harm public health and the result will be more COVID-19 and more harm from it.”
The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, did not immediately respond to NPR’s requests for comment or explanation.
This year’s rollout of the COVID vaccines has been unusually chaotic from the start. Until this year, anyone 6 months or older could get vaccinated by their pharmacist without a prescription. But for the first time this year, the Food and Drug Administration only approved the new shots for people at risk for serious complications because of their age or health, causing widespread confusion and frustration.
After a tumultuous two-day meeting last month, Kennedy’s committee recommended adding a new hoop to getting vaccinated, but also took steps that could make more people eligible, let more pharmacists give the shots and start shipping the vaccines for kids.
But the CDC has yet to accept those recommendations — freezing everything in limbo.
“This is a critical piece of enabling downstream access,” says Kansagra of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. “It’s a huge problem.”
And now with the government shut down, no one knows when the CDC might finally act or what the agency might do.
Officials are especially worried because of the upcoming winter respiratory reason.
“We don’t know exactly how bad a season it could be, but it could certainly be very bad,” says Dr. Philip Huang, director of the Dallas Health and Human Services department in Texas. “It’s very frustrating. Our jobs are being made harder rather than easier.”
Expert Picks for Long-Blooming Sun Perennials to Grow in the Midwest
If you’re looking for plants that provide blooms all season long—not just for a short time—these top picks for the Midwest are sure to brighten your garden. Find four long-blooming perennials for sun that thrive in sunny beds and borders from summer into fall.
Zones: 3–8 Size: 6 to 9 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil Native range: Southwestern Europe
‘Purity’ candytuft is a front-of-border perennial ground cover that does a lot. Blooming for several weeks in spring, it also sports attractive, almost needlelike foliage for the rest of the year. The slightly domed pure white blossoms completely smother the plant, attracting butterflies aplenty. Be sure to deadhead and prune the foliage back into a mounded shape when the flowers finish their display; this is a must to keep it tidy. The foliage will stay evergreen even if snow-covered in winter. If ‘Purity’ gets tattered due to desiccation, any brown dehydrated tops won’t bloom, so consider a light winter cover of evergreen boughs in windswept sites. This candytuft was selected for its compactness, large flowers, and profuse bloom. It’s also rabbit and deer resistant.
Photo by Nancy J. Ondra
‘Montrose White’ calamint
Name: Calamintha nepeta var. nepeta
Zones: 5–9 Size: 15 to 18 inches tall and wide Conditions: Full sun; average, well-drained soil Native range: Europe, Mediterranean region
This plant has a very upright, almost vase-shaped habit and gray-green foliage with a strong herbal scent. The star turn really occurs when ‘Montrose White’ steps forward with its top-to-bottom froth of delicate two-lipped white flowers that last from June until late October. I don’t want to oversell here, but mine was still in full-tilt flower when I cut it back in early November this year. And this calamint is never without bees, wasps, moths, and butterflies hovering over it. I purposely avoid giving my plants supplemental water during drought and they haven’t been phased. Cooler fall weather often causes the flowers to tint blue. This cultivar is sterile and doesn’t seed about promiscuously.
Photo courtesy of Plants Nouveau
‘Thai Pink Jade’ garden phlox
Name: Phlox paniculata
Zones: 5–9 Size: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide Conditions: Full sun; moist, well-drained soil Native range: North America
Ever really wanted to have garden phlox, but thought, No, I’m not crazy about powdery mildew. Then I urge you to get this beautiful, highly PM-resistant phlox with a long bloom season. From July to late September, you’ll enjoy beautifully domed medium-pink flowers with a deeper pink eye and a lovely, lilting fragrance. Deadhead the first flush of blooms once they’re finished, and lower lateral flowers will emerge to keep the performance going. The foliage is pointed and seemingly thicker and darker green than most garden phlox, creating an asset in its own right. ‘Thai Pink Jade’ is also a marvelous cut flower. The plant’s habit is strongly upright, making it easy for bumblebees and hummers to stop for a sip.
Photo courtesy of millettephotomedia.com
‘Bubblegum Candles’ veronica
Name: Veronica spicata ‘Bubblegum Candles’
Zones: 4–8 Size: 8 inches tall and 12 inches wide Conditions: Full sun; rich, well-drained soil Native range: Hybrid
At this stage of my gardening life, I’m inexplicably just growing veronicas for the first time and loving ‘Bubblegum Candles’. It’s a tidy little number with a dwarf habit and (yes, you guessed correctly) candle-like spikes of deep rosy-pink flowers that go on all summer, especially if you’re conscientious about deadheading. Its foliage is a deep, glossy green and serrated. This long-blooming perennial prefers an organically enhanced soil and supplemental moisture during drought. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds will be frequent visitors to your new addition—deer and rabbits, not so much. It’s useful for low front-of-the-border edging and staggered odd-numbered groupings, or even tucked in mixed containers. This plant could legitimately be described as “sweet.”
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– Slim, lightweight design, is made with toxin-free polyurethane and utilizes industrial grade, lead-free fittings
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Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes
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Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs.
D&X Garden Sprinkler
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– The Sprinkler is made of durable ABS Plastic, Base connector: Approx. 1/2″ ; Side connector: Approx. 3/4″
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Make this easy Honey Garlic Shrimp sheet pan dinner in just 30 minutes. Enjoy juicy shrimp and tender-crisp green beans tossed in a sweet-and-savory glaze.
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On average women use about 19 bodycare products a day that contain an estimated 500+ different chemicals. In college my bathroom was filled with dozens of hair products, skin products and makeup containers with hundreds of ingredients. These shea butter lotion sticks though have just 5.
I’ll admit that I’m a skin care product addict. Thankfully though I learned the benefits of natural products years ago and switched all of my toxic ingredients out for healthy ones.
Since switching I still have dozens of personal care products in my bathroom but now they’re packaged in glass jars. Instead of phthalates, parabens, and artificial fragrance you’ll find ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, and honey. There are a lot of great natural skincare products on the market now, but I still enjoy making my own too.
Benefits of Shea Butter Lotion
Lotion bars are some of my favorites and they’re much easier to use than regular lotion. Especially when I had little kids who liked to get into everything! I started making them in repurposed plastic deodorant containers, which makes them even easier to apply. You can also use these eco-friendly cardboard tubes.
In the fall, I love using shea butter lotion. It naturally protects skin from dry, cool weather and some say it helps the skin naturally produce collagen. Research has also showed shea butter has natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. That means it’s great for calming irritated skin and protecting it from free radical damage.
A 2025 study showed that shea butter immediately and drastically increases skin hydration, prevents moisture loss, and improves skin barrier function. In many places, it’s a revered remedy for keeping skin looking young and it really does make skin softer than a baby’s bottom.
More Skin Protecting Ingredients
Not only do these feature shea butter, but they also have a few other skin loving ingredients. Coconut oil provides MCT oil and a whole host of benefits that you’ve probably heard me brag about before. Coconut oil helps repair the skin barrier, has mild anti-bacterial effects, reduces inflammation, is antioxidant, and helps skin age more gracefully. Then there’s beeswax to help thicken and provide even more skin barrier protection to keep skin hydrated.
I love adding in my favorite essential oils to make this an all-over skin nourishing remedy. You can use any skin safe oils you prefer, but I usually opt for a blend of chamomile, geranium, and sweet orange. If your skin is really sensitive or you’re using this for very little ones, then omit the essential oils.
Here’s how to make your own shea lotion bars!
Shea Butter Lotion Bar Stick
This creamy lotion bar is in a convenient stick form to keep hands mess free. Customize it with your favorite scents!
Prep Time3 minutesmins
Active Time10 minutesmins
Cooling Time2 hourshrs
Total Time2 hourshrs13 minutesmins
Yield: 2ounces
Author: Katie Wells
Add several inches of water to the bottom pot.
Add all of the ingredients except essential oils to the top of the double boiler or heat safe glass bowl on top of a pot. Heat the ingredients over medium heat until melted, stirring ocassionally.
Remove from heat and stir in the essential oils.
Pour the mixture into the lotion bar tube.
Let cool for several hours or overnight in the fridge.
Cooling in the fridge speeds up the cooling time but it also helps the shea butter to stay smooth after cooling.
Keep in a cool, dry place for up to 2 years.
How to Use Shea Butter Lotion Bars
These shea butter lotion bars are great for dry, thirsty skin that needs extra hydration. It goes on silky smooth and I’ll put it anywhere I need some more moisture. I don’t use it on my face though since my face tends to have plenty of natural oils. However, I know many women who love to use shea butter on the face and this would be an easy way to apply it. Experiment and see what works for you.
Notes On Shea Lotion Bar Sticks
This recipe makes enough for one 2-ounce lotion bar tube. Double or triple the recipe if desired to make more.
For a firmer lotion bar stick, use more beeswax. For a smoother lotion bar stick, use less beeswax and more coconut oil or olive oil.
Shea butter has a different melting point than other oils and butters so it can get grainy in skincare products. An easy way to fix this is to make sure they cool down in the fridge before using. You can store them at room temperature though.
More Lotion Bar Recipes
Once you start making homemade lotion bars it’s hard to stop! Here are some more of my favorite natural lotion bar recipes.
What are some of your favorite skincare products to make? Leave a comment and let us know!
For fall blooming asters, you must be planted them in spring or early summer. You can even plant them in fall, but you should wait until next season for blooms.
Once the plant is established it returns every year with colourful blossoms every year.
New England aster and New York aster are two prominent aster species that are known for late-season blooming.
These hardy perennials can be grown in most USDA zones with minimal care that includes 6 hours of sunlight, well-drained soil and adequate water.
Depending on climatic conditions in your region, you may need to take extra care to prevent drought and overwatering.
Let’s now dive deep into growing requirements and planting asters.
Growing Requirements for Asters
Asters thrive best when planted in full sun, where they can soak up at least six hours of direct light each day. While they can handle a touch of light shade, especially in hotter regions, too much shade often leads to fewer flowers and leggy growth.
Soil: These fall favorites prefer well-drained, organically rich soil. They do not like soggy ground, which can quickly lead to root problems. A slightly acidic to neutral soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 works best. Before planting, mix compost or well-rotted manure into the soil to boost fertility and help with moisture retention.
Spacing: Give asters some breathing room. Depending on the variety, they should be spaced 1–3 feet apart. This not only allows each plant to grow to its full potential but also encourages good air circulation, which is important for keeping fungal diseases—like powdery mildew—at bay.
Watering: During their first season, keep the soil consistently moist so the roots establish well. Once mature, many varieties are fairly drought-tolerant, needing only occasional watering during dry spells. Avoid waterlogging, as asters dislike sitting in wet soil. Applying a layer of mulch helps lock in moisture and keep the roots cool through summer heat.
Container Growing: If you’re short on space, asters can also be grown in pots. Compact varieties are the best choice for containers since they won’t outgrow the space.
Use a high-quality, well-draining potting mix and remember that container-grown plants dry out more quickly than those in the ground, so they’ll need watering more often—sometimes daily during hot weather.
Regular feeding with a balanced liquid fertilizer will also help potted asters stay healthy and full of blooms.
When to Plant Asters for Fall Blooming?
If you want your asters to put on a brilliant show in autumn, timing is everything. The best time to plant them is in spring or early summer
Planting early gives the roots plenty of time to establish before the cooler months arrive, ensuring that by late summer and fall the plants are strong, healthy, and ready to burst into bloom.
Asters are perennials, so once settled in, they’ll come back year after year. Planting in April through June is ideal for most regions of the U.S., though gardeners in warmer climates may be able to plant a little later.
If you wait until mid-to-late summer to put them in the ground, the plants may survive but might not flower much in their first season because they won’t have had time to settle.
That said, many garden centers sell asters in pots already in bloom during the fall season. These can be planted directly into the garden or enjoyed in containers as “instant color.”
While they add immediate beauty, think of them as an investment for next year—once they overwinter, they’ll reward you with even more blooms the following fall.
Important Tip: Always plant asters in a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Water regularly after planting to help roots establish, and mulch to conserve moisture through summer heat.
How to Grow Asters for Fall Blooming?
1. Choose Healthy Plants
Select strong, disease-free asters with firm stems, green leaves, and plenty of buds. If dividing an existing plant, choose mature clumps with well-established roots. Healthy plants are more likely to thrive and produce abundant fall blooms.
2. Plan Your Layout
Decide where each plant will go in your garden. Taller varieties, like New England asters, look best at the back of borders, while shorter types, such as Heath or Aromatic asters, can go in front or along walkways. Space plants 1–3 feet apart to allow room for growth and proper air circulation.
3. Prepare the Planting Hole
Dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball. For multiple plants, mark their positions in advance to maintain even spacing. Proper hole preparation ensures that roots have room to spread and settle.
Gently remove the aster from its container or division. Loosen any tightly packed roots. Place the plant so that the crown—the point where stems meet roots—is level with the surrounding soil. Avoid planting too deep, which can damage the plant.
5. Backfill and Firm the Soil
Fill in soil around the roots and press lightly to remove air pockets. Make sure the plant is upright and stable, but don’t compact the soil too hard, as roots need room to grow.
6. Water Immediately
Water the newly planted asters thoroughly to help settle the soil around the roots. This reduces transplant shock and encourages the plant to establish quickly.
7. Grouping and Design Tips
Plant asters in clusters rather than single rows for a natural, flowing look. Mix taller and shorter varieties to create layers and depth. For containers, place taller varieties in the center and compact or trailing types around the edges.
8. Timing for Fall Bloom
Plant asters in spring or early summer. This timing gives the plants enough time to develop strong roots and foliage, ensuring a vibrant display of blooms in late summer and fall.
9. Monitor During Establishment
Keep an eye on new plants for the first few weeks. Avoid disturbing roots and watch for signs of stress. Once established, asters are hardy and will bloom reliably year after year.
Deadheading spent flowers is important to keep asters looking tidy and encourage them to produce more blooms. Regularly removing faded flowers also prevents the plant from going to seed too early, allowing it to focus energy on new blossoms.
Tall varieties, like New England asters, can become top-heavy during their peak bloom. Providing stakes or plant supports helps prevent stems from bending or breaking in windy autumn weather.
Applying a layer of mulch around the base of your asters helps retain moisture and keeps roots protected from cooler temperatures. Mulching also helps prevent soil from drying out during late-season heat or early frosts.
While mature asters are fairly drought-tolerant, fall is their prime blooming season, so keep an eye on soil moisture. Water as needed to keep the soil evenly moist, but avoid waterlogging, which can harm the roots.
Asters can be prone to fungal issues like powdery mildew, rust, or leaf spots in humid fall weather. Ensure good air circulation between plants and remove any affected leaves promptly to maintain plant health.
A light application of balanced fertilizer in early fall can help extend flowering, but over-fertilizing may encourage leafy growth instead of blooms.
After the first frost, trim asters down to about 2–3 inches above the ground. This helps prevent disease and prepares the plants for winter dormancy. In colder regions, adding an extra layer of mulch offers additional protection to the roots.
Fall-blooming asters also attract pollinators like bees and butterflies when other flowers are scarce. Leaving some blooms for wildlife ensures a lively, healthy garden while giving you the joy of watching pollinators in action.
Asters are a true highlight of the fall garden, bringing vibrant color and life when many other flowers are fading.
With the right planting, care, and attention to seasonal needs, these hardy perennials reward gardeners with long-lasting blooms, attract pollinators, and add beauty to borders, beds, and containers alike.
By planning ahead and following simple care steps, you can enjoy a spectacular autumn display year after year, making asters a reliable and charming addition to any garden..
Khaja Moinuddin, a computer science graduate, finds joy in gardening and homesteading. Join him on this blog as he shares his experiences in homesteading, gardening, and composting
