Plantoftheweek

ASTER FRIKARTII ‘MÖNCH’

NAMED after a famous peak in the

Alps, this is a tall daisy with an amazingly long, productive flowering period. A hybrid of two aster species, it has rough-textured leaves and soft blue flowers with lemon yellow centres. These can appear from July and keep coming well into autumn. As cut flowers, they last well in water. In a garden, mature plants bloom for several months before fading.

Happy in almost any soil and with good light, this is a durable, diseaseresistant plant, shrugging off drought or excess rain with equal aplomb. Propagation by division is quick and easy, best done in late autumn or spring.