The Asters are for me the final act in a gardens summer performance before autumn well and truly sets in. It can seem a long-protracted journey through the season with Asters, they quickly come through in the spring sprouting forth amongst the other plants and bulbs only to sit in a vegetative (leafy) state for months before even contemplating the prospect of flowering. In some seasons this can be delayed with many in our own garden only having opened in the last couple of weeks.
Asters are and have been used by generations of gardeners. Ranging from those that can reach heights of several feet to those that barely attain half a metre. I’m especially fond of them when used alongside ornamental grasses. The vast majority can be divided in the spring to give you masses more plant material. If you aspire, as many of us do, to include in your garden perennials that retain structural interest during the winter then Asters are essential (as anyone who dries them for indoor use would testify) they can also act as a valuable source of food for birds during the leaner months of January and February.
The range and breadth of the varieties is enormous, it’s a case to some extent of doing your homework as personal tastes will ultimately dictate your choices. Aster novae-angliae ‘Septemberrubin’ which is one of the New England Asters is tall (1.5-1.8m) and bold with abundant double purple red flowers. Its lofty presence may be a challenge in the most exposed site, but it can be staked. Aster ‘Marie Ballard’ is a tried and tested stalwart, for good reason, it’s a hard act to follow with masses of violet blue double flowers, it reaches a height of 40-50cm and as such doesn’t require additional support as is the case with Aster x frikartii ‘MÖnch’ a bushy plant up to 80cm tall with dark foliage and yellow-centred, lavender blue daises that flower relentlessly from August to late October, a fabulous addition. I must also acknowledge my favourite Aster; A.divaricatus a subtle and compact plant growing to 40cm or so, yet its shiny black stems and white star like flowers I find completely irresistible.
For the beady eyed and botanically minded amongst you, you’ll be aware I’m using the old name for this group as technically the Aster genus has been renamed Symphyotrichum A tongue twister of a name that you’ll start to see used more extensively but for now I shall be a quiet rebel and use the old name….
Aster ‘Little Pink Beauty’ is in todays video and is one of the latest to flower but the wait is worth it as the intensity of the colour is the kind that glows even in low light. It’s very compact and works really well in a tight space as we have it here in our own garden.
Негізгі бет Easy to Grow Flower: Aster 'Little Pink Beauty'
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