Aster × frikartii 'Mönch'
michalmas daisy
- Position: full sun
- Soil: well-drained, moderately fertile soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: August to September
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Masses of long lasting, lavender-blue, daisy-like flowers with orange centres from August to September and dark green leaves. These charming Michaelmas daisies are ideal for a mixed or herbaceous border with well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Best in full sun, they associate especially well with late summer flowering perennials such as Rudbeckia and Echinacea. - Garden care: Stake with bamboo canes or brushwood in early spring. Water regularly during dry spells and deadhead regularly to prolong flowering. After flowering cut the flowered stems to the ground and apply a generous mulch of well-rotted garden compost or horse manure around the base of the plant.
Asters are one of the easiest plants to take cuttings from. All you need to do is pull away sideshoots that have already rooted. Thesecan then be potted up individually or planted directly in to the garden.
Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'
fountain grass
A pretty, compact grass for small gardens
Achillea millefolium 'Lilac Beauty'
yarrow
An unusual lilac, yarrow
Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm'
black-eyed susan
Large golden-yellow flowerheads
Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora 'Emily Mckenzie'
montbretia
Fabulous orange blooms
Echinacea 'Tiki Torch'
coneflower
The most vivid orange coneflower
Do you want to ask a question about this?
If so, click on the button and fill in the box below. We will post the question on the website, together with your alias (bunnykins, digger1, plantdotty etc etc) and where you are from (Sunningdale/Glasgow etc). We'll also post the answer to your question!Q:
When is the best time to plant the border on a budget?
We are intrested in purchasing the plants suggested on 'money's tight' pre-planned border. Can you suggest when it is best to plant these plants?Asked on 2/3/2006 by sarah keeling1 answer
A:
As a rule hardy plants grown in containers (such as the majority of the ones we sell), can be planted at any time of year as long as the soil isn't frozen solid. The best times to plant however are in the autumn when the soil is still warm enough to encourage root growth but the plant isn't in active growth, or in spring before the temperatures start to rise. You can also plant in mid summer as long as you make sure the plants are kept well watered.Answered on 2/6/2006 by Crocus
How to get more flowers
Many flowering plants can be encouraged to produce better and longer-lasting displays with the minimum of effort. A plant produces flowers in order to reproduce and ensure the survival of the species. Once a plant has flowered and fertilisation has...
Read full articleHow to use companion plants
Companion planting is a method of growing different plants adjacent to one another for the benefit of one or both of the companions. Some plants are thought to confuse or act as a decoy to potential pests, while a few...
Read full articleHow to create a wildlife-friendly garden
An organic garden should also be a wildlife-friendly garden. Not only is it wonderful to see nature at work, but many creatures will help you achieve better results. The ponds in my garden act as a magnet to dragonflies and...
Read full articlePrairie
Indulge a passion for ornamental grasses by creating a prairie- or meadow-style garden. They can be richly planted with native wildflowers or a selection of complementary perennials and self-seeding annuals to create a naturalistic planting effect. Prairie gardens often...
Read full articleChelsea Chop and other methods of extending the flowering season
Many gardeners who are happy, even gung-ho, with the secateurs when pruning shrubs and climbers are surprisingly reluctant to take the shears to herbaceous perennials. Maybe this is because it just doesn’t seem quite right to be cutting back all...
Read full article
Nearly always the first aster in flower, often in July, and the dark-green foliage and floppy stems, topped with large lavender-blue flowers continue until October
Val Bourne - Garden Writer