STARS OF THE SHOW Clouds of daisy-like asters are perfect for cheering up autumn borders
With their joyful abundance of daisy-like flowers in every colour from purest white to vibrant purple, asters are perfect for cheering up our autumn borders. It’s no wonder we’re falling back in love with them
Vibrant, pretty and easy to grow, asters – also known as Michaelmas daisies – are emerging from their role as supporting players in the herbaceous border to share star billing with other late-summer perennials. And with such a wide variety to choose from, there’s one for every garden and position.
Low-growing varieties, including ‘Smallness’ and ‘Lady in Blue’, are ideal at the front of the border or even in pots. Meanwhile, the billowing mounds of
A amellus and A x frikartii look wonderful weaving among other perennials, and the tall, back-of-the-border varieties, including ‘Barr’s Pink’ and ‘Andenken an Alma Pötschke’, have real visual impact.
Though asters are long-lived, they do need regular division to flower well, and old clumps can also be badly weakened by mildew. So, if you have any sad and sparse examples languishing in your beds, dig them up and move on to something more exciting. Nurseries have noticed the renewed interest in asters and are raising an ever-expanding range of varieties. When planted among grasses and other late performers – such as rudbeckia, persicaria, actaea, perovskia, salvia and gaura – the abundant flowerheads of asters will add oomph to your borders and attract a host of beneficial insects, especially bees.
Although they have multiple names, it’s probably easiest to stick to thinking of them all as asters or Michaelmas daisies. The species and garden cultivars that originate in North America have previously been known as New England Asters (A novae-angliae) and New York Asters (A novi-belgii), but their botanical name is now Symphyotrichum, and they’re increasingly labelled as such. This is useful to know when looking through catalogues, visiting nurseries or buying online but, let’s face it, ‘aster’ or ‘Michaelmas daisy’ is a lot easier to say, and everyone will know what you mean. Luckily, the European and Asian varieties, including A x frikartii and A amellus, remain as asters.
Add OOMPH to a border with these ABUNDANT flowerheads