Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Video Wednesday: Asters




This is the second video in series of plant profile videos aimed specifically at the Mid-Atlantic home gardener. See the first one, Japanese Anemones, here.

Here is the text from the video:

Asters are a hardy perennial that mostly bloom in late summer and autumn in the Mid-Atlantic region. Asters are native to Europe and North America. There are over 600 species in the Asteraceae family. They are deer-resistant, easy-to-grow, and vigorous plants. The flowers are daisy-like in shape and come in shades of white, pink, lavender, and blue with a yellow center. The most popular variety is the New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae). Other popular Aster varieties include: 'Wood's Blue,' 'Monch,' and 'October Skies." Their use in the garden is mostly as a filler plant in borders. They tend to get leggy and flop, so stake them or place them next to a plant or other feature that they can lean on. Look for some of the shorter, bushier cultivars to avoid the flopping. You can also try “pinching” them or cutting them back in late June to control their height. Asters prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Once established, they are fairly drought-tolerant. They attract butterflies and make good cut-flowers as well.

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