Asters - one of the most popular and well-known flowers in flower beds and flower beds. Astra love for the fact that it blooms all summer, delighting with color until mid-autumn.
Alpine aster varieties
Alpine aster is an early-flowering plant that begins to delight the eye with a riot of colors as early as May. The varieties of this aster are low, up to 40 cm, most of all resemble a daisy. Alpine asters bloom for about a month, these are small flowers up to 6 cm in diameter, usually one flower on the stem. These varieties are resistant to cold.
Important! Before planting asters, select a suitable site for it, the flowers absolutely cannot tolerate wet or often flooded soil. Aster suffers from powdery mildew from excess moisture and dies off.
Alba
This variety grows in a dense shrub with a large number of elongated leaves, grows up to 40 cm. It is a white Alpine aster, semi-double, up to 3 cm in diameter. The snow-white petals have the shape of a bird's tongue, tubular petals are yellow. 
Glory
The sky-blue daisy is up to 4 cm in diameter, a bright yellow center looks very beautiful against the blue-blue petals. It will look spectacular against the background of evergreens in a single planting or in combination with white and yellow flowers. 
Goliath
Another bright representative of the perennial aster variety. Against the background of elongated, densely strung on the stem of the leaves - delicate purple flowers. Goliath blooms for about a month. It is used to decorate alpine slides, rockeries. 
Dunkle Shona
Astra is a perennial bush, fluffy inflorescence of these daisies about 3 cm in diameter, petals in the form of a tongue of dark purple color. The plant is frost-resistant, it will look good in combination with other flowers or as a frame for the foot of an alpine slide. 
Rosea
One of the long-flowering bush asters - a flowering period of about three months. Blooms in June. Flowers of medium size, pale pink with reed petals. Tubular petals brown shade. 
New Belgian asters
They are represented by shrubs with many branches, some stems are almost bare, others, on the contrary, have many leaves. In some varieties of petals cover the middle, giving the flower a terry look. Shrub grows up to one and a half meters, with a lot of flowers on the stem. Mostly lilac-lilac shades, less often pink and red colors.
Amethyst
Meter height bushes bloom a little more than a month. Ligulate petals are colored mauve, with yellow tubular core. On the stem of more than six semi-double flowers. 
Ballard
This new Belarusian variety of asters is beautiful in bouquets and flower arrangements. Because of the lush and abundant flowering looks spectacular in a single planting, and in the group. Blooms bright pink medium-sized flowers. 
Beechwood rivel
Lush bush up to a meter tall, blooms more than a month. Due to the purple of its inflorescences it looks beautiful against the background of bright green. 
Oktoberfest
Blue asters up to a meter tall. Flowers semi-double, up to 4 cm in diameter. Blossoms about a month, flowers with reed petals, arranged in several rows. 
Saturn
The height of this sprawling bush to one and a half meters. Inflorescences are lush 4 cm in diameter, the petals are blue. It blooms for about a month, sometimes a little less. 
Did you know? In ancient times, people believed that the smell of burnt aster leaves scared snakes from dwellings. Practically every nation has aster its own symbolism: the Greeks used aster as a protective amulet; Hungarians consider aster a symbol of autumn; the Chinese give the flower a value of accuracy, infallibility; the Japanese believed that Astra disposed to reflections. In France, aster is a symbol of grief, it was laid on the graves of fallen soldiers.
Varieties of New England asters
This species combines several characteristics: strong bushes with straight stems; shoots thick, lignified, more than one and a half meters high. Inflorescences, mainly located on the top of the bush. These are varieties of autumnal perennial asters that bloom rather late.
Attention! Caring for this species, it is recommended to plant bushes every five years, dividing the rhizome. The soil must be nutritious, watering and feeding-regular.
Browman
A branchy bush more than a meter tall, blooms in September. Lilac-purple inflorescences gathered in lush tassels. These asters are good in a bouquet in compositions with other colors that are just as bright, but in a different shade. The bush looks beautiful as a hedge for lower flowers or ornamental shrubs. 
Dr. Eckener
Astra New England with red-purple flowers up to 4 cm in diameter. A one and a half meter beauty ennobbles with flowering buds in the middle of autumn. Blossoms up to a month. 
Lily fardell
A leafy bush dotted with leaves grows up to 140 cm. There are many inflorescences of rich pink color on the stem, the basket diameter is up to 4 cm. Variety for making romantic tender bouquets or diluting darker color compositions. 
Rote stern
The height of the bush is one and a half meters, the flowers are large, seem to be double, of an unusual carmine shade. Blooms in autumn, blooms up to a month. 
Shrub Aster Varieties
Shrub asters are represented by different species and color, from pale blue to purple flowers, from yellow asters to dark maroon. They have a compact form that is easy to form forming pruning, which allows the bush to maintain a decorative look before and after the flowering period. It is desirable to rejuvenate shrubs by dividing the roots every three to four years.
Blue bird
"Blue bird" is a small bush up to 25 cm. It is just perfect for borders or as a central figure among even more stunted flowers and decorative greenery. The color of the petals goes from sky blue to lilac shade. 
Venus
Dwarf bush about 20 cm, suitable for hanging compositions, as a framing flower beds, in outdoor pots. Flowers bloom in September lilac-pink, continue to bloom for a month. 
Dwarf nancy
The bush grows up to 25 centimeters. Blooming lilac shade, reed petals. 
Interesting! Some varieties of asters are called litmus or indicator. Astra growing in nickel-enriched soil changes its natural color. Geologists use this interesting property to develop and search for nickel deposits.
Niobea
Snow-white daisy grows up to 30 cm in height. Gentle petals have a reed shape and a tubular yellow center. 
Royal Ruby
The name of the variety speaks for itself: a truly royal color - purple in combination with ruby. Beautiful in group and single landings on alpine slides, on lawns. From small-flowered asters make up spectacular bouquets. 
The bright variety of these delicate flowers will turn any area into a blossoming paradise. The biggest advantage of these flowers is that different varieties bloom at different times. If asters are your favorite flowers, then you can admire them from spring to late autumn.
