Aster novae-angliae Barrs Pink

The Aster novae-angliae 'Barr's Pink' is a safe bet. This vigorous and opulent variety offers a profusion of daisy-like flowers in September-October, of a fresh pink colour with a golden yellow heart, very coquettish, and foliage resistant to mildew. Autumn flowerbeds would be quite dull without these perennials, their abundant daisies covered in butterflies. Robust, the upright stems of this variety do not require staking. It is a floriferous plant, easy to grow in ordinary soil that remains moist.

The family of Asteraceae, to which asters belong, is mainly characterised by the shape of its flowers, called capitules. This variety, derived from the North American species Aster novae angliae, is particularly resistant to diseases due to rough foliage that does not provide a foothold for pathogenic fungal spores such as powdery mildew and downy mildew. 'Barrs Pink' blooms abundantly in late summer. Its woody stems, reaching a height of 1.20 m (4ft), are capable of carrying opulent, colourful bouquets of a pretty pink colour without weakening. Make sure it is not overwatered, but does not suffer from drought either during the summer. It likes a sunny site but will prefer to have its feet in loose and fertile soil, protected by a thick mulch. The flowering of asters is much visited by bees and butterflies. The above-ground vegetation, deciduous, dries up in winter and regrows from the stump in spring.

The 'Barrs Pink' Aster is perfect in flowerbeds to extend flowering in the garden until autumn, but you can also plant it in large pots, with its blue counterpart Barr's Blue and some dahlias to brighten up the surroundings of your house. This combination will be equally joyful in large bouquets. This particularly sturdy plant will delight less meticulous gardeners, as it manages to survive without care even in neglected gardens, as long as it does not lack water. In beds and borders, create a rural ambience around your asters with tall perennials (tall sedums, grasses, daylilies) and small bushes (perpetual roses, Caryopteris, Perovskia, shrubby salvias). Including a few evergreen plants will provide some greenery to accompany the asters until the end of their flowering period.