Asters blooming in the late fall garden
If any perennial could use a good public relations firm, it’s Asters. Asters show up in the garden centers in the fall, along with mums and pansies, as small purplish or pinkish blooming flowers, barely a foot tall in most cases. They are hardly distinguishable from the mums!
But the right Asters planted in the perennial garden can provide a big “wow factor” in the late fall garden. Covered with blooms, they attract bees and butterflies of all kinds, eagerly collecting the pollen and drinking the nectar of one of the last great shows of the growing season.
What Aster is this that is the “right” aster for our Indiana gardens?
There are probably several, but I’m referring to Aster nova-belgii, commonly referred to as New York Asters or Michaelmas Daisies because they are often in full bloom for St. Michaelmas Day on September 29th.
There are many varieties of Aster nova-belgii, and it is best to pick a named variety, whose height and color is known. They prefer sunny locations and well drained soil and have very few special needs.
You can dig and divide them easily in the spring, which makes them good plants to share with other gardeners. They don’t have to be divided every year, but should definitely be dug, divided, and replanted when they form that classic “donut” shape, where the interior of the plant has died out.
To encourage more branching and thus more bloom, many gardeners, including me, cut back the foliage by about half around Memorial Day or shortly thereafter. Even with that, some taller varieties may flop a bit later in the season. Providing them with support is a gardener’s choice. I like the big floppy look of the Asters in my garden, but those who like a tidier look in their garden may choose to support them in some way.
The only other ‘fine print info’ on the Asters is that they can self-sow in the garden, so you may want to deadhead them after they’ve bloomed. But the seedlings are easy to pull if they do sprout in the spring.
You can also follow Carol on Twitter where she is Indygardener and through her blog May Dreams Gardens
Comments
I used to grow the Nova belgiis, but I found that I prefer the taller New England Asters, the Nova Anglias. The only problems with them are the ugly legs & occasional mildew.
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