Re-Blooming New England Asters

New England asters are a favorite fall blooms in my Missouri garden.

Re-Blooming New England Asters

With bees in my garden, I added New England asters this year to make sure they have a continuous pollen source through the four seasons.

These asters are perennials and easy to grow. Some people toss them after they bloom and that's a shame because once established, they provide a nice pop of color between the end of summer flowers and the fall tree displays.

To help extend the aster blooming season, remove the dead flower heads. They are easy to spot, they look like brown flowers.

To remove dead blooms, just carefully pinch the flowers off the stem.

Gently pinch the dead flower off the stem. You can start with garden scissors but it is easier to just pinch them.

Once the dead blooms are removed, the plants will generate a second wave of flowers, bringing another hint of blue and purple into your fall garden. 

These asters are blooming again about a month after I removed spent blooms.

Aren't these beautiful? Well worth the extra effort to keep them blooming.

New England asters are easy perennials to add to a garden and come in a variety of colors, primarily purples, blues, burgundies and whites. I picked up several on sale. Don't have a clue what color they are, looking forward to next year's fall blooming surprise!

Charlotte