Michaelmas Daisy

Aster novae-angliae Lou Williams

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: well-cultivated, fertile, moist soil
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: August to October
• Flower colour: red
• Other features: lance-shaped, mid-green leaves
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  A brilliant plant for adding much needed late colour to the garden as the large, light red flowerheads appear on top of stiff upright sprays from late August to October. It will flourish in full sun or light dappled shade and will look good in herbaceous borders or prairie style planting.
  
  
• 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. These can then be potted up individually or planted directly in to the garden.