Asters Up Front
Third, choose a sunny location with decent soil. They can tolerate our dry summers and they don’t need as much rich compost as your tomatoes do, but work in a little planting mix and choose a spot where they will get good light.
Finally, pick some interesting varieties. The native Aster chiloensis, with its light blue flowers, is a must-have in Humboldt county. Aster lateriflorus ‚’Lady in Black’ is worthwhile for its purplish-black foliage alone, but then it produces huge sprays of tiny pink and white flowers in fall. One of the most ornamental asters is the New England aster, A. novae-angliae, which can actually reach over three feet tall and produces large, brilliant maroon or purple blossoms on sturdy stems. This aster puts up with wet soils, so you don’t have to worry about it rotting during a rainy winter.
And if you’ve already got asters blooming in your garden, leave the seed heads on the plant if you can stand it. Seed heads should be part of a winter garden; they can provide a food source for birds, and they’re beautiful in their own seedy way. Cut the stalks off as new growth starts to appear in the spring — that’s really the only care they need. This time next year, your asters will be butterfly magnets. Plant, wait, enjoy. It’s almost too easy.
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