Asters

Asters meaning "star" in Latin, are sometimes commonly
called "colored daises" - but they are actually part of the
same family as sunflowers as seen in their deep yellow
centers - with brightly colored petals in white, lavender,
purple, pink or red.

Perennial asters prefer well-drained soil with full or partial sun.

With seeds slow to germinate, asters can be started
indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date, or thereafter
planted directly into the soil. As they establish themselves
they form in to bushy clumps which after a few years should
be divided and transplanted.

Perennial asters and mums both benefit from pinching back
to extend the growing season, resulting in a bushier plant
and a profusion of flowers. Begin pinching back in mid-June,
but curtail any pruning after early July, or it will have the
opposite effect : leaving the plant without any blossoms in the fall.

The "star" of the autumn garden, perennial asters are
a mainstay in any flower garden and provide colorful blooms
at the end of the summer just when most other flowers are fading...