Spotlight on: Aster/ Michaelmas Daisy
Add bright autumn colour to your garden.
The perennial Asters, which include Michaelmas Daisies, are essential to prolong the flowering season of most gardens from late summer well into autumn.
If your border looks really good early in the season and then tired and dull towards the end of summer, add one or two varieties of Aster to really perk it up towards the end of the season. When autumn tints are mostly reds and golds, Asters provide refreshing contrasts in whites, pinks, lavenders and purples.
Asters will grow in sun or light shade and like a fertile, well drained soil, although they are quite forgiving and will tolerate a range of soil types.
Michaelmas daisies were introduced from America in the 17th Century and became a cottage garden favourite. Those from New England took the name Novae-Angliae and those from the low-countries' settlements around New Amsterdam (now New York), were called Novi-Belgii.
There are around 180 species in the wild, and more than 600 different varieties. We are not planning on offering them all, but our range will grow. We currently have the following on offer:
Aster lateriflorus var. horizontalis:
An unusual form, not often offered, with horizontal branchlets and a profusion of grey flowers with rosy centres.
Aster novi belgii 'Jenny':
Magenta red flowers cover a neat mound of foliage for much of autumn.
Aster novi-belgii 'Lady in Blue':
Single power-blue flowers. Makes a neat mound, good for front of border.
Aster novi-belgii 'Snow Cushion':
A lovely dwarf michaelmas daisy. Attractive yellow eyed, pure white starry daisy-like flowers above neat mounds of foliage.
Aster x frikatii monch:
Bright blue flowers with a golden eye over a very long period.
On top of their other good qualities, Asters attract bees and butterflies, helping to keep your garden alive. The aster is the flower for a 20th (porcelain) wedding anniversary and in the modern language of flowers the aster represents love and patience.
N.B. Since 2014, the horticultural brain boxes have decided that Asters should now be called Symphyotrichum but we're sticking with Aster.