Asters in Garden Design: Top 5 Varieties and Ready-to-Use Plant Combinations

Asters are a gardener’s delight, gracing our landscapes with blooms just when many perennials have finished their show. Their vibrant hues stand out against the backdrop of yellowing foliage and grasses, creating a stunning late-season spectacle. But with a vast array of asters to choose from, making a selection can be a daunting task.

In this post, I’ll introduce you to some of my favorite aster varieties and offer insights on pairing them with companions to create the most striking garden displays.

Let’s kick off with my all-time favorite, Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch.’ Height x Spread: 80-100 cm x 60cm
Here’s why it steals the show:

An Early Bloomer: ‘Mönch’ is one of the earliest blooming asters, gracing your garden from late July through October.

Its warm lavender-blue flowers effortlessly complement any garden composition.

With a medium-sized bush, it adds a brilliant presence without toppling over or needing support.

Resistant to Mildew: ‘Mönch’ stays healthy and vibrant.

Butterfly Magnet: It beckons butterflies, adding a touch of wildlife charm.

Deer-Resistant: An interesting observation is that in gardens frequently visited by deer, many late-flowering asters often lose their blooms as the deer nibble on the buds. However, ‘Astra Monch’ has a unique advantage. Its mid-summer blooming coincides with a period when deer still have a wide array of plants to choose from, making them overlook this aster. If deer have been a challenge in your garden, ‘Astra Monch’ is a worthy contender to try.

Now, let’s explore how to enhance ‘Mönch’s’ beauty:

Pair it with tall, summer-blooming yarrows like Achillea ‘Cloth Of Gold’ or Achillea ‘Coronation Gold’ to create a vibrant backdrop for your asters.

Alternatively, set the stage with Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’ and Agastache ‘Black Adder’ in the background. These plants are a pollinator’s dream and offer a delightful contrast in inflorescence structures.

For a classic pairing, combine asters with ornamental grasses like Pennisetum.

Aster ‘Monch,’ being an early bloomer, makes for a delightful companion to roses from mid-summer until the last rose blossoms. Its unique lavender-blue hue seamlessly complements warm yellow and pink rose varieties, adding a touch of elegance to your garden.

The second variety I’d like to introduce is Aster ‘Purple Dome.’
This aster is known for its dramatic appearance, and what’s particularly appealing is its compact size, standing at about 60 cm in height and width.

Let me share some inspiring combinations featuring Aster ‘Purple Dome’ from Mayfield Park in Manchester. The landscape designer’s choices here are truly stunning.

Aster ‘Purple Dome’ + Euphorbia: While I couldn’t identify the exact variety used in this garden, I suspect it might be Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii. If space is a consideration in your garden, you can opt for a more compact alternative like Euphorbia ‘Blackbird.’

Aster ‘Purple Dome’ + Limonium latifolium: This combination is a clever one. Limonium latifolium provides summer blooms, introducing vibrant colors while Aster ‘Purple Dome’ takes center stage during the autumn, perfectly complementing the rich brown hues of Limonium.

Aster ‘Purple Dome’ with Grasses: This aster variety can be beautifully paired with taller grasses such as Calamagrostis acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ or intermingled with the delicate Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau.’

Aster ‘Purple Dome’ + Nepeta x faassenii: A simple yet beautiful combination witnessed at RHS Garden Hyde Hall. Nepeta x faassenii offers continuous summer blooms while Aster ‘Purple Dome’ brings its vibrant autumnal colors. I recommend choosing a compact variety like Nepeta x faassenii ‘Kit Cat’ for this pairing.

Moving on to my third favorite, Aster ‘Little Carlow.‘ Height x Spread: 90cm x 75cm
This variety shares a similar color palette with Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch but boasts smaller flowers and blooms later, from the end of September.

An excellent example can be found at RHS Garden Hyde Hall, where Aster ‘Little Carlow’ and Pennisetum orientale ‘Karley Rose’ harmoniously coexist in a long border.
Photo taken on 30 September.

If you have a sunny spot towards the back of your garden, I highly recommend pairing these two beauties. For an added splash of color during the summer, consider including Allium ‘Globemaster,’ Eremurus Stenophyllus (Foxtail Lily), and Lilium martagon. I’ve even prepared a planting scheme to provide you with some creative ideas on how to combine these plants seamlessly. Your garden will surely be a sight to behold!

Another stunning aster variety to consider is ‘Violetta.’ Height x Spread: 150cm x 90cm

With its tall, erect stems and vibrant purple blooms featuring bold yellow centers, ‘Violetta’ adds a touch of elegance to any garden. These stately flowers create a stunning contrast when paired with graceful grasses and positioned near Hydrangeas and the delicate beauty of Amsonia hubrichtii.

Many aster varieties thrive in sunny spots, but what if your garden is limited in sunlight? I have a solution for you – the White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata), a versatile gem that thrives in dry shade.

This plant is one perfect for creating a captivating garden under a large tree, and I’ve dedicated an entire post to this beauty. If you have a shaded spot in your garden, I highly recommend checking it out.
EURYBIA DIVARICATA: A VERSATILE GEM FOR YOUR DRY SHADE GARDEN

If you’ve found the planting schemes in this post helpful, you’re sure to love my workbooks. These workbooks provide carefully curated plant lists for specific garden areas and ready-made plant combinations. They also include graph paper and scaled labels for all plants, allowing you to sketch your garden layout, position plant labels, and experiment with various arrangements.

This hands-on approach enables you to visualize how each plant complements your space, offering a precise roadmap for optimal plant placement. It simplifies the task of determining the number of plants needed to bring your envisioned flower bed to life.

Explore my workbooks on Amazon, such as “Designing a Perennial Garden Underneath a Tree WORKBOOK” for planning a low-maintenance dry shade garden.
Available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk