Half-hardy Asters

ONE look at the asters on this page and we know exactly what we’re talking about, but aren’t there other flowers called asters? And what is it that makes these asters, asters?

The true asters, from a botanical point of view, are blue-flowered perennials from mainland Europe. The asters here look like them, but are annuals from China and Korea so they’re sometimes known as China asters (Callistephus chinensis). Michaelmas daisies used to be asters, too, but that’s another story.

So we’re talking about half-hardy annuals, growing from 8in-3ft (20cm-90cm) in height, with single flowers or double, frilly or tightly balled, in just about every colour of the rainbow. Seed is sown indoors in spring for planting out in June, or sown outdoors in late