| ASTER AT A GLANCE COMMON NAME: Aster
SPECIES: Aster, Latin for ``star,'' referring to shape of flower. Member of Compositae,
or daisy family.
FORM: Tall, upright
SIZE: 2-5 feet tall, depending on variety
EXPOSURE: Sun or very light shade
LEAVES: Alternate
FLOWERS: Clustered, daisy-like bluish-lavender flowers with yellow centers;
July-October blooms. Some varieties have other flower colors.
VARIETIES: Many. Aster frikartii, 2-foot height, 12-inch spread; branching stems;
dark-green, oblong leaves. Monch and Wunder von Stafa long-blooming ones. Flora's Delight
by Blooms of Bressingham.
A. novae-angliae, New England aster, 5-foot height, 2-foot spread; upright, hairy
stems, lance-shaped leaves; purple and pink variations.
A. novi-belgi, New York aster, erect hairless stems with deep-green, narrow and pointed
leaves; blue-violet, pink and white flowers.
CULTURE: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Dislikes dry soil in growing season and
soggy soil in dormant time.
PROPAGATION: Self-sow freely; remove faded flowers if you do not want plants that are
not true to type. Divide clumps when plants decline in vigor and get overcrowded.
USES: Garden areas suitable for their tall, leggy look which can need staking for
support; woodland or meadow plantings.
PINCHING: Pinch back early summer to promote branching and compact growth.
PROBLEMS: Look for varieties resistant to mildew and rust diseases.
Sources: Taylor's Guide to Perennials, Smithfield Gardens, Encyclopedia of
Perennials, Anderson Garden Center
POPULAR PERENNIALS
Fall is one of the best times to plant perennials, including wildfowers, in Hampton Roads.
You can pick up some of those perennials during the Fall Wildflower Sale Sept. 19-20 at
the Virginia Living Museum. This year's sale will feature green coneflower (pictured
here), ironweed, goldenaster, black-eyed Susan, mistflower, downy lobelia, blue lobelia,
beardtongue, river oats, horsetail and more. Sale will be held rain or shine at the museum
on J.Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News; admission to sale free. Sale hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Sept. 19; noon-3 p.m. Sept. 20. Call 595-1900.
MUM'S THE WORD
Clusters of colorful garden mums add a fall touch to the landscape. Mums like at least six
hours of sun a day and a rich soil high in organic matter with good drainage. Water them
regularly. Mums planted outdoors in the fall do not need feeding until spring when they
start growing. Pinch back garden mums in the spring when they are 4-6 inches tall or use
clippers to keep the growth cut back 4-6 inches until mid-July for a nice fall mound.
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