GARDENS
The best asters to choose for dazzling autumn borders
These daisy-like flowers will fill the garden with vibrant colour right through to November. By Joe Swift
The Times
I was a little slow coming round to asters. I think it’s because one of my first gardening jobs was to remove large swathes of Aster amellus (commonly called the Michaelmas daisy because it’s in flower around September 29). It had taken over a large border and as I dug up and caught my ungloved fingers on the short, tough stems, I clearly remember thinking to myself: “Don’t plant this one.” Back then for me they also had — dare I say it — granny connotations; they felt somehow dated and were mostly seen in suburban and cottage gardens. This upstart wanted to be at the cutting edge of contemporary design.
I soon changed my mind when designers of the new perennial movement (most notably
