Perhaps Autumn Joy sedum would work.

Melissa

First of all, great flowering bed! I love your Monarda and blue veronica.

I had a similar challenge with my asters and came up with a variegated grass next to the aster. It just depends on the size you have in mind and the level of sun exposure and soil you are dealing with. Depending also on the flower color you could also add sedum, either the regular Autumn Joy (green leaves and pinkish flowers turning to rust brown, or a sedum with more colorful leaves such as Matrona or Purple Emperor. They look good all summer and bloom great in the fall. Another option would be to group a taller Goldenrod (Solidago) such a Firework behind the aster, and/or a shorter one in font of it? It depends a little on the color of the aster. Another option might be to plant a group of two or three clumps of fountain grass (pennisetum) in front of the aster. Depending on the hight of the aster you could choose the short one Little Bunny, or the medium sized one Hameln. Oh, one other thought I had (depending on how much room you have) would be a clump of fall flowering anemones. You will have a lot of choices regarding size of clump and flower colors. Well, I hope that helps a little. Let us know what you decide.

Great ideas - one thing I failed to mention. This is the 3rd year for the garden and is 100% sun and the bed is a lasagna garden which has some of the best soil you can ever imagine. So Goldenrod might not work as it does not like GOOD soil!

Autumn Joy sedum - I have that by the mail box garden and while it's nice it's not really THAT great for a Butterfly garden.

Fountain grass is an interesting idea - I love having different shapes - you don't see the Allium's which flowered in the past week which really add a unique shape.

I love Rudbeckia triloba for late summer blooms. Mine is just starting to bloom now (a bit early), but will continue until Thanksgiving if we don't have a really hard freeze first. It's an interesting plant in that the more fertilizer you give it, the bigger it grows. I had a few well-fed plants that grew to 4+ feet and looked almost like bushes. If you withhold the fertilizer, they stay a more manageable size, but still bloom their heads off.

I'm not sure about Goldenrod not liking good soil. I grow 3-4 varieties in very good soil and they all do well. If you want something tall, Solidago ulmifolia would be beautiful. If you like something shorter, Baby Gold might be a good choice, but it also might bloom too early.

Kevin

What color is your New England aster? Purple asters and yellow goldenrod is a classic combination and would look lovely.

Eupatorium 'Chocolate' is a very late bloomer for me, around early October. Not sure how it would look with your aster. Somewhere I've got a pic of a Monarch nectaring on the 'Chocolate', must have been a late migrant passing through the area.

Helianthus maximiliani is a very late bloomer, but it gets huge and would probably look like a giraffe in your butterfly garden. Maybe one of the shorter Helianthus species like H. angustifolius?

Of course, the annuals are usually going strong all the way up to the first frost.

Check out the wildflower, Chrysopsis marilandica, that blooms quite late and is super easy.
Also, goldenrod, definitely not a source of allergies, regardless of folktales, comes in many varieties.
And I agree, that if you want a trouble-free plant, try one of the 'Autumn joy' type Sedums.

Wow! Love that long beautiful view. Have you considered a smaller shrub? I have dwarf golden nugget barberry and golden ruby barbery, which is even smaller. I am trying to plant more shrubs, and more plants for foliage color. Heuchera's (forgive the spelling) are great for foliage and I have one thats in full sun and looks great. My other thought is saphhire blue oat grass. I love the blue grasses!

Would love to see a picture of what you decide on.

Jodi

I second the Eupatorium 'Chocolate'...look great with everything.

That is a great looking bed, Grinder!

plse tell us what are those striking looking red headed grasses beyond this bed?are they really red?and where are you?- that's always helpful to have in your i.d. so we can give (and get) the best advice from you!

I like the suggestions for foliage color rather than flowers.Grasses and small shrubs would be great for giving you some rounded solid masses and vertical spikes w/height. some ideas:
daphne carol mackie
barberry- ppl helmond's pillar.

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blue lyme grass(plant in pot to keep from roaming)
helichtrotrichon
oat grass
short zebra grass
miscanthus variega.
annual ppl fountain grass- pennisetum
pennisdetum moudry- black fuzzy seed heads
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amsonia hubrechtii- airy/ferny- turns wonderful gold in fall; would be great abutting the asters
stachys - the non flowering one- as an edger
ppl perilla- large deep ppl leaves
variegated iris- good wide bold varieg spikes
eupatorium chocolate
p.s. how 'bout growing some lovely clematis over that stone wall? and edging the wall w/ lavender which loves hot hot full sun reflected heat?

best,
mindy
www.cottonarboretum.com/

How beautiful. Gorgeous, really.
I like the fact that you have included ornamental grass and a lot of natives in the bed. They tie your garden to the field and beyond.
Very attractive.

HA - what you are seeing are actually three gardens - the front is the Butterfly garden - then the yellow near the back are the threadleaf coreopsis, then that wood fence is the boundary for the neighbors yard - I'll ask what the grass is but they probably will not have a clue - most homes around here had someone come in and plant - they have no idea what anything is.

I've asked.

Grinder, I have goldenrod 'golden fleece' planted in quite rich soil and it does very well. It's a good height to go along with the asters.

Where were you planning on planting the companion plant? Your bed looks pretty full (and beautiful) now. If you have room (extend the bed?!?!) I'm a huge fan of the Fairy Rose. Blooms into Nov. for me and the pink is great with asters. A very carefree blooming powerhouse.