Asters are a type of perennial that look a little bit like a daisy, with pretty star-shaped flowers and a delicate purple colour to their blooms. They are a good flower to grow at this time of the year because the flowers will start to come out when all of the others in the garden are dying, bringing some last-minute colour at the tail-end of the year.

As perennials, you can plant asters in a range of places, including borders, rockeries and wildflower lawns. They don’t need too much sun and will prefer to grow in a cooler climate, so it’s best that they are given some shade and aren’t grown too early on in the year. When the foliage dies in the winter months, you should cut asters back if you want them to continue growing well. They can be left until the flowers have died as they’ll keep blooming long after other flowers.