The aster variety Little Carlow is very distinctive, forming a rounded, bushy plant covered with little blue daisy flowers. The colour of the flowers is a lovely violet-blue, perfect for contrasting with the yellow, orange and red of the autumn season. It has a slightly faded look, a bit like worn denim. It is a perfect plant for a rural garden, given its size and very natural appearance. It is not so little, even for an aster, and grows to about 90cm tall and about the same in width – the clump slowly spreading outwards, but it is not a strong spreader or invasive. Aster is the botanical name for daisy and this plant is one of the Michaelmas daisies.

With the name it carries, this variety might be expected to have some connection with Carlow and most likely be an Irish variety. Despite claims in 1952 by a Dublin nursery that it introduced the variety that year, the word introduced is a loose phrase as it can be taken to mean that a plant is introduced for sale, not necessarily bred as a variety.

Little Carlow was bred in the 1930s by Margaret Thornely, who lived in Wiltshire in England. She was a noted breeder of asters and produced several named kinds, now gone or rare, except for Little Carlow, which continues to grow in favour. Whether there was any Carlow connection to Margaret Thornely is not known, despite best efforts by people down the years.

The variety is a hybrid of two North American aster species, namely the New York aster, Aster novi-belgii, and the blue wood aster, Aster cordifolius. It combines the larger flowers of the former, with the open, airy habit of the wood aster. The flower heads are more rounded than elongated flowerheads of the wood aster and the flatter heads of the New York aster. The combination is a compellingly beautiful plant that forms a cloud of blue colour in autumn.

Like most hybrids, it is robust and vigorous, and does not suffer notably from mildew. It generally does not need staking, although its stems might grow a bit tall in good soil and might need some support. But even if the stems are tossed around a bit, the large tufts of blue still look well and it is part of that slightly bedraggled look of autumn.

Although it has been around for over 70 years, Little Carlow has never been more widely grown than it is now. Current trends have favoured it. The biggest influence has been the new perennial style, also called prairie planting, including the use of grasses. Asters of various kinds are prairie plants and might be expected to be chosen for the style. But Little Carlow is an outstanding associate plant for grasses.

By offering a perfect colour complement, it makes grasses so much more interesting. At this time of year, grasses are colouring to yellow or beige, some are orange and red-flushed, such as miscanthus, stipa and calamagrostis, and the denim blue of the aster sets them off, enlivening borders that might otherwise look dull. At the same time, the grasses offer great contrast of texture that flatters the aster.

Little Carlow is easy to grow in any ordinary soil. It likes good soil that does not dry out in summer, but can tolerate free-draining soil too and it likes sunshine. Plant it in the foreground or middle-ground of mixed planting, especially with grasses in view. CL

Hyacinths for

Christmas

Pot up hyacinth bulbs now for flowering at Christmas and the new year. This is called forcing – bringing the bulbs into flower three months before their natural flowering time. To achieve good results, it is essential to use specially prepared bulbs that have been given a controlled warm period during the summer. They cost a small bit more.

Pot up in pots or bowls and bury the lot outdoors, or place in a cold, dark shed. When the pots are lifted the bulb sprouts will be ready to extend and open. They are lifted at the end of November and brought into a warm, but not very warm, room to flower.

Flowers

Spring flower bulbs are in the shops and should be planted as soon as possible. There is also a better choice when the first bulbs come in. Seeds of annual flowers, such as poached egg flower, Californian poppy, candytuft and cornflower, can be sown now in trays or in the ground.

Trees, shrubs & roses

Prepare areas of ground for planting trees and shrubs during the autumn by killing off all existing vegetation with Roundup. Prune rambler roses that have finished flowering and they will flower better next year. Check that young trees are securely staked and the tie is not too tight or rubbing off.

Fruit, veg & herbs

Fruit crops have suffered from the stop-start weather, with apples splitting and falling early. Prune raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries that have finished fruiting. Remove old vegetable crops as soon as they are finished and do not allow weeds to go to seed.

Lawns

Lawns have grown well in the rain, so continue regular mowing. An autumn lawn fertiliser is not likely to be necessary, unless the lawn is very poor and starved. This is the ideal time of year to sow a new lawn or to over-sow an existing lawn. Spray carefully with Roundup and sow into the dying sod.

Greenhouse plants

Tidy up the greenhouse now, removing plant debris. Do not overwater or splash water about. Continue to train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers, removing lower leaves as they deteriorate. Allow only existing fruit to develop. Pot up any cuttings taken during the summer that have rooted.