Synopses & Reviews
The daisy-shaped flowers of asters bloom from late summer into fall and are available in shades of white, pink, lilac, purple, and blue. They are native to American habitats like meadows, prairies, thickets, and swamps, and can be grown in a huge range of climates. The Plant Lover’s Guide to Asters by nursery owners Paul and Helen Picton highlights 100 species and cultivars. Featuring information on growth, care, and design, along with suggested companion plants and hundreds of gorgeous color photographs, it covers everything a home gardener needs to introduce these delightful plants into their garden.
The Plant Lover’s Guides offer a rich source of information on both new and classic garden plants. Written by enthusiastic experts, they recommend the best varieties for different situations, inspire ideas for new plant combinations, and are packed with resources for the home gardener. These gorgeous guides celebrate the beauty of each plant and form a comprehensive library that every plant lover will want to own.
Synopsis
Asters are the ultimate easy-to-grow, late-season plants. They produce daisy-shaped flowers in gorgeous rich shades of pink, purple, and blue and excel in a wide range of garden conditions, lending themselves to formal and naturalistic gardens alike. Paul and Helen Picton have been growing asters for decades and recommend the most garden-worthy species and varieties along with tips for growing, propagating, and designing with these rewarding plants.
The Plant Lover’s Guides offer a rich source of information on both new and classic garden plants. Written by enthusiastic experts, they recommend the best varieties for different situations, inspire ideas for new plant combinations, and are packed with resources for the home gardener. These gorgeous guides celebrate the beauty of each plant and form a comprehensive library that every plant lover will want to own.
About the Author
Paul Picton and his daughter, Helen, are specialist growers of autumn-flowering asters. Along with Paul’s wife, Meriel, and Helen’s husband, Ross Barbour, the family operates Old Court Nurseries and the Picton Garden in Herefordshire, England. The nursery was established in 1906 by Ernest Ballard, the first nurseryman to popularize autumn-flowering asters. Since then it has always specialized in breeding and growing these super plants. Every autumn several thousand visitors come to the nursery and garden to see the asters at their peak. The Pictons hold the Plant Heritage National Plant Collection of autumn-flowering asters, with more than four hundred forms present in the collection. It is a work of love and passion to keep the collection up together and make the garden attractive and ever changing. Paul started working alongside his father, Percy, at Old Court when he was sixteen and has been surrounded by asters his entire life. With more than fifty years of experience, he has a vast, irreplaceable knowledge of the genus. He has travelled all over the country to give horticultural talks and is well respected within the horticultural community. Paul is author of The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Asters. Helen joined the business after completing a botany degree at the University of Reading, and has since then been working full time with the asters. She also lectures and gives talks throughout the United Kingdom. Visit the family’s nursery and garden at autumnasters.co.uk.