"No marigolds yet closed are," writes the 17th century poet, Robert Herrick, about the advent of autumn, and he adds that the Shepherd's Star, Capella, has not appeared with winter's Taurus.
On Earth, the vegetation still hold back from autumn. When lilies are gone, summer seems to stabilized in the purple coneflowers, the tall wingstem and ironweed, the opening of ragweed, the green budding stalks of goldenrod that are poised for the season ahead, promising long-lived asters and mums in a few weeks.
Hummingbird moths still come to the impatiens. Touch-me-nots still bloom. Tall bell flowers are still strong and pale blue. Wild cucumbers are still prickly to the touch. The pink bull thistles, the white virgin's bower, the fierce nettle still flower in the fields.
All along the rivers, bur marigolds are still in bloom. Zig-zag goldenrod and willowherb and swamp milkweed are still open. All these still keep the summer in place as long as the Shepherd's Star remains hidden in Taurus, before marigolds closed.
