Aster is one of the late stars of summer and has been nominated as the HTA’s Plant of the Month for September. A favourite herbaceous border plant to provide continued colour through to the first frosts, Aster mixes well with other late flowering plants and is popular with bees.

As part of the HTA’s ‘Plan it, Plant it’ autumn planting campaign, Aster can bring your garden alive with colour and is one of the top ten herbaceous border plants that can be bought in garden centres and planted during the autumn months.

The name Aster comes from the Latin word for ‘star’ and describes the shape of the flower head.  They are also often referred to as Michaelmas daisies and there are several species and cultivars of different colours and heights.  Aster x fikartii ‘Monch’ is traditionally lavender blue and has flowering period from mid- summer through to late autumn and continues until the first hard frost. Aster Achillea millefolium and Echinacea purpurea look good with these daisies and add variety to any border.

Other popular varieties include Aster Bahamas, Barbados, Ibiza, Samoa, Tonga which come in rich purples and pink to bring vibrancy to your garden.  All varieties make for good cut flowers and are easy plants for beginners to try in the garden.  

Nominated and agreed upon by British growers and retailers, the HTA’s Plant of the Month campaign highlights the plants that are widely available and looking especially good in garden centres each month. Different varieties are recommended together with simple planting and care hints and tips.

Plant of the Month point of sale materials can be purchased through HTA partners Hortipak and Floramedia.

The plants included within Plant of the Month have been nominated and agreed by the HTA Ornamentals Committee and the HTA Retail Management Group to ensure the campaign meets the needs of both growers and retailers.

The aim of the Plant of the Month campaign is to make it easier for gardeners by selecting a plant on a monthly basis that will be looking great, is widely available from UK nurseries and easy to maintain in the garden.

For further information and to see the full calendar for 2013 visit http://www.the-hta.org.uk/plantofthemonth2013

For more information on Plan it, Plant it, this Autumn, please visit www.the-hta.org.uk/autumn