Purple aster card with bumblebees is digitally printed using archival pigment inks on silky, bright white, acid-free paper. Folded card is 5.25" by 5.25" and comes with a beautifully made, bright white envelope. The photograph I used to create this purple aster mandala is printed on the back of the card with the photo location. Interior of the card is blank and the paper is super smooth, not slick, and takes gel, ballpoint, and other inks well. Perfect as a birthday or everyday greeting for a gardener, naturalist, lover of purple, or anyone who's interested in the save the bees movement, pollinators, sustainability, or native plants.

The card and envelope are packaged together in a plastic sleeve and mailed in a stiffened mailer. Note: one or two cards are shipped USPS First Class without tracking. Three or more cards are shipped via the most economical means, which usually includes tracking.

Framing. This purple aster card is created using high-quality materials, such as might be used in a museum. The print is sharp, bright, and frameable. To protect the vibrancy of the artwork, I frame using UV glass or acrylic, and I recommend it. If you use plain glass or acrylic, make sure you hang this sweet, little piece and all your beautiful art away from direct sunlight.

About the Art. I took the photo for this mandala, titled Plenty for Two, in the Children's Discovery Garden at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The bumblebee is pollinating a New England aster, a native plant that's easy to grow in sunny to partially sunny spots in medium to even medium-dry soils (wet clay is too wet and sandy soils are too dry, so try growing asters in soils that are somewhere in-between.) Asters are super important to pollinators because they bloom late in the season when many other flowers are long gone. This period is especially critical to bees that overwinter as adults. Quick tip: When planting asters from seed in areas that get cold winters, sow in pots that you put outdoors in early January. The cold, followed by the freeze-thaw of later winter and early spring will break the dormancy of the seeds, and you won't need fancy grow lights to get your asters going. This is called winter sowing. You can try it with a wide range of native flowers and cool-season vegetable crops. Google "winter sowing" for more details.