Aster

Just when summer planting begins to soften, asters take over. Often known as Michaelmas daisies, these hardy perennials cover themselves in daisy-like flowers from late summer into autumn, extending the season with shades of blue, lavender, purple, pink and white. Their golden centres add warmth to the display, while the sheer number of flowers can turn an established clump into one of the liveliest plants in the border.

Many plants traditionally sold as Aster now sit botanically within genera such as Symphyotrichum and Eurybia, but aster and Michaelmas daisy remain the names most gardeners recognise. They combine particularly well with ornamental grasses, rudbeckia, helenium and sedum, flowering at exactly the point when these late-season companions are also at their best. Bees, butterflies and other pollinators make good use of the nectar-rich flowers, which can be especially valuable as the season draws on.

Bare-root Michaelmas daisies offer an easy way to build repeated colour through larger perennial borders. Some varieties stay compact, others form substantial plants with height and presence, but all share that ability to keep the garden feeling alive well beyond midsummer. For UK gardens, asters are among the most useful perennials for bridging the gap between summer abundance and the first signs of autumn.