A Glowing Fall Border with Asters and Grasses

Fast-growing, upright and vigorous, New England Aster 'Andenken an Alma Potschke' (Aster novae-angliae) features masses of large, daisy-like, bright rose-pink flowers, up to 2 in. wide (5 cm) with sunny yellow center disks. Blooming for 6 weeks or longer, from late summer to late fall, this eye-catching beauty easily enlivens any sunny corner of the garden. Native to North America, it is easy to grow, long lived, brings cheerful fall color and is a great source of nectar for butterflies. Typically grows up to 36 in. tall (90 cm) and 2-3 ft. wide (60-90 cm). Deer and rabbit resistant!

For summer to fall exquisite beauty on easy care plants, few perennials can compare with Aster x frikartii 'Monch' (Frikart's Aster). One of the first Asters to bloom, this lovely perennial plant creates a bold splash of color in the landscape over an extraordinarily long season with masses of attractive, soft lavender-blue, star-shaped blossoms, 2 in. wide (5 cm), with slender rays and golden-yellow centers. Such a gentle color that it blends with almost any other color in the garden. Free flowering, well-branched with sturdy stems that do not need staking, this aster is easy to grow, trouble-free, mildew-resistant and a great source of nectar for butterflies!

One of the few ornamental grasses that grows well in moderately shady locations, Deschampsia cespitosa (Tufted Hair Grass) is a clump-forming, cool season, semi-evergreen grass forming a low and dense tussock of narrow, dark green leaves, up to 18 in. tall (45 cm). In early summer, elegant clouds of delicate feathery panicles of purplish-green to tawny flowers emerge on arching stems rising 3 ft. (90 cm) above the foliage. They sway gracefully in the slightest breeze and persist well into winter. Spectacular when backlit by the rising or setting sun!