Aster Flowers
Aster flowers in the rock garden are some of the most delightful of early spring blooming plants. While the taller perennial asters tend to be fall blooming plants, and suitable for the main perennial border, the smaller asters are perfect for the rock garden or small balcony container garden.
Grow these in the full sun or very light shade. The more shade you give them, the fewer blooms they will produce.
The specific details are below but generally, they are very easy to grow if you give them excellent drainage. Clay soils or excessive moisture will rot out the roots over the winter so you really cant plant them in these situations.
A very fertile soil will cause them to grow a little leggy or produce soft foliage (that is susceptible to insects and disease) so growing on average to poor soils is best for the shorter versions.
Varieties include:
'albus' white flower with yellow eye
'Goliath' - a soft blue flower and produces a heavy crop of aster flowers
'Happy End' produces scads of pink flowers in different shades
'Dark Beauty' violet blue flowers
Grow from seed or division
You can grow your own from seed although a careful spring division is also possible to give you a few extra plants. Divide as soon as the plant starts to show signs of life and before it blooms. Sow seed in very early spring indoors and plant outdoors after the last frost for blooms the following year.
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