Daisy, Daisy

Goodbye summer, hello fall! Well, not officially until Wednesday, September 22nd at 11:09am, so let's call it early fall. It's also my favorite time of year on Peconic Bay, which is located on the south fork of Long Island. The weather is bright and crisp, and farm stands explode with Technicolor produce. It always feels like a new beginning and a fresh start to the year, rather than the end of summer freedom. In the Jewish culture, one actually does celebrate the New Year in early fall, with Rosh Hashanah.

Once the summer flowers have faded, autumn is the time Montauk daisies kick into gear, having spent the past two seasons quietly spreading dark green bushy leaves. Unlike the common Shasta daisy, which blooms in spring and summer, the Montauk daisy, also known as the Nippon daisy, with origins in Japan, only blooms in fall. Aesthetically, I prefer the Montauk daisy's shorter, bushier profile in the garden, with multiple blooms per stem. As an added bonus, butterflies love them, while the ravenous deer and bunnies ignore them!

Handmade On Peconic Bay Van Dyke Brown Montauk Daisy 5" square print with gift envelope, $20.00, at Hester Street Fair, A Little Of What You Fancy, 19 Newtown Lane East Hampton, 631.324.3113.

Montauk Daisy garden image courtesy of Garden Blog.