This week… Asters
ASTERS are summer and autumn-flowering hardy perennial plants with flowers like daisies. In spring, shoots arise from a steadily spreading crown and the vertical stems carry pale or dark-green leaves that are usually narrow and lance-shaped, though occasionally broader. Most are 3-4ft (90cm-1.2m) tall.
The flowers can be as small as ½in (12mm) across and carried in delightful clouds or as broad as 3in (7.5cm) for a more dramatic look. The colourful petals may be as few as half a dozen or as many as hundreds, and can be white or, more often, pale shades of pink,
