HOUSE AND GARDEN 
September, 1912 
species like sunshine, and others grow 
best in full or partial shade; some 
prefer a moist situation, while others 
will grow in a dry soil or even on 
rocky ledges and crevices in rocks, 
so that a variety can always be ob¬ 
tained to adorn any desired locality. 
They improve greatly in habit when 
transferred to cultivated grounds, and 
if allowed to go to seed, fine large 
masses will soon be formed. 
To produce the finest effect, the 
hardy asters should be planted in 
clumps or masses. They show to best 
advantage when set among shrub¬ 
bery, particularly among rhododen¬ 
drons whose rich green leaves form a 
beautiful background for the many- 
tinted, feathery sprays, and also fur¬ 
nish a support for some of the slen¬ 
der, drooping varieties, making it un¬ 
necessary to stake them. They also 
make an attractive show when planted 
among barberry bushes. 
Different species vary greatly in 
manner of growth and size of blos¬ 
soms. Some are tall and stately with 
large, conspicous flowers; some which 
grow on the borders of woods have a 
peculiar charm of slender, sometimes 
zigzag growth and medium-sized 
blooms; and still others have many 
drooping branches covered with 
dainty little blossoms that remind one 
of snow-laden branchlets. 
One of the most striking of our 
Aster laevis has sky blue or violet blos¬ 
soms and grows in sunlight or shade 
The New England aster accommodates itself readily 
to almost any location except a heavily shaded one 
native asters, and one 
of the most widely dis¬ 
tributed, is Nova An¬ 
glia, or the New Eng¬ 
land aster. By many it 
is considered the most 
beautiful of the tall 
species, and it is prob¬ 
ably the best known, 
for its large, deep pur¬ 
ple blossoms with gold¬ 
en yellow centers are 
among the most con¬ 
spicuous of the road¬ 
side flowers in autumn. 
The plant is tall and 
vigorous, the blossoms 
crowning a stem from 
four to six feet high, 
and shining with a 
royal splendor. Inter¬ 
mingled with the gold- 
enrod, with a back¬ 
ground of stone wall 
or old rail fence cover¬ 
ed with clematis with 
its fleecy masses of 
plumose seeds, and the 
luxuriant growth and 
bright-hued leaves of 
the Virginia creeper, 
this aster shows at its 
very best. The New 
England aster likes a 
rather moist situa¬ 
tion, but accommodates 
itself very well to al¬ 
most any location, ex¬ 
cept a very shaded one. 
There is a rose-colored 
variety, as well as the 
purple-flowered kind, 
but it is not as common 
as the latter. 
Aster Novi Belgii, 
the New York aster, is 
tall and strong with 
myriads of delicate 
blue-purple stars vary¬ 
ing from deeper to 
lighter shades and even 
approaching white. Its 
clouds of delicate blos¬ 
soms produce beautiful 
color effects when the 
plants are massed 
against evergreen trees or shrubs. 
The New York aster is admirable for 
cutting, as the sprays last long in the 
house and are very decorative. It will 
bear more shade than A. Nova An¬ 
glia. 
Aster multiHorus , the white-wreath¬ 
ed or starry aster, will be found in 
August and September in dry, opep 
fields and waste places. The long, 
curving branches, sometimes towering- 
above a man's head, bear minute blos¬ 
soms arranged in profusion along the- 
leafy stems. The foliage is a gray¬ 
ish green and the small, white flowers 
have a yellow center, changing to, 
brown. The feathery beauty of the 
curving spires of green and white is. 
charmingly effective when they are- 
tossed by the winds, and the rain does, 
little harm to the multitudinous little- 
blossoms. This species of aster likes, 
the sunshine. 
Aster lavis, the smooth or blue as¬ 
ter, is one of the loveliest of all this, 
beautiful class. The blossoms are sky 
blue or violet and the foliage is a soft 
blue-green. The color of both blos¬ 
soms and leaves is very pleasing, and 
they light up the roadside or the gar¬ 
den with a new loveliness of refined, 
hue. This species will grow either in 
full sunlight or partial shade, if it; 
has good soil. 
Aster ericoides, the white heath as¬ 
ter, has tiny white or bluish flowers; 
In full sunlight and a dry situation Aster, 
ericoides should do well 
