Everyone knows and loves the Asters that bloom in fall, but there are as well a handful of summer bloomers that are valued for their bright blue flowers and their exceptionally long bloom time. The best of them is A. x frikartii 'Monch'. Its graceful 2-3ft stems bear masses of 2.5-in flowers all summer, in an extraordinary shade of lavender blue. An outstanding middle of the border plant with Achillea, Alchemilla, Alstroemeria, Antirrhinum, and Astrantia. 'Monch' flowers best in full sun and evenly moist but well-drained soil. Best treated as an annual in the Deep South.

We count Asters among the great garden plants, because many of them bloom gloriously in late summer and fall when most garden plants are spent. There are many species, all of them having the classic Daisy form (outer ray flowers surrounding a central disk). They offer a range of rich colors, often with exceptionally handsome dark green foliage, easy dispositions, hardiness, and a ton of flowers at a time when color is at a premium. In addition, some Asters are among the longest-blooming plants known, the finest attribute a plant can have. Asters need full sun and reliable moisture, and often perform best if pinched in midsummer, which discipline produces a super-abundance of bloom on a plant precisely the size you want.

(No CA, ID, NV, OR, TX, UT, WA)