This time of year you can find lots of asters and chrysanthemums in garden centers, local nurseries and in grocery stores.
Try asters for an easy-to-grow plant. Have you ever wondered what a "Michaelmas daisy" was? It's a common name for the purple asters abloom in many of our gardens as early as August and sometimes as late as November.
Asters come in many shades of blue and purple, including magenta, with a few in shades of pink or white. Asters range in height from one to four feet. These great fall-blooming plants come in all shapes and sizes. Asters make great cut flowers, lasting for at least a week at a time. Each stem is covered with multiple blossoms. Every fall, asters' blossoms provide pollen for bees, butterflies and other insects preparing for winter.
These colorful and appealing plants are related to sunflowers and come in annual, biennial and perennial forms. The English named them "starworts" because the blossoms are shaped like stars. Later their name was changed to "Michaelmas Daisy" because they bloom near St. Michaelmas Day in September.
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