Colour, Texture and Movement for Summer Borders
Astrantias, also known as Masterwort, are among the most distinctive summer-flowering perennials. Their intricate, pincushion-like flowers are carried on slender stems above attractive foliage, giving them a wonderfully light and airy appearance in the garden.
Rather than forming a heavy block of colour, Astrantias weave naturally amongst neighbouring plants. This makes them particularly useful in mixed perennial borders, where their flowers add texture, movement and repetition without overwhelming the rest of the planting.
Our current collection offers a fantastic choice of colours, ranging from fresh white and delicate pink through to rich cerise, ruby red and deep burgundy.
Varieties currently available include 'Burgundy Manor', 'Cerise Button', 'Florence', 'Lola', 'Magical Red', 'Pink Button', 'Pink Pride', 'Roma', 'Star of Beauty', 'Star of Billion' and 'Star of Love', together with Sparkling Stars Red, Sparkling Stars White and Sparkling Stars Diamond.
Where to Grow Astrantias
Astrantias perform best in fertile, moisture-retentive soil and are particularly useful in areas of the garden that receive sun or partial shade.
Once established, they form attractive clumps that return each year, producing flowers through the summer. Regular deadheading can help encourage further blooms and keep plants looking their best.
Their long stems also make excellent cut flowers, so they can be enjoyed both in the garden and indoors.
Plant Them in Groups
One of the best ways to use Astrantias is to plant several of the same variety together.
A group of three or five creates much greater impact than a single plant while still retaining the relaxed character that makes Astrantias so appealing.
For larger borders, repeat the same variety at intervals through the planting. This repetition creates rhythm and helps draw the different parts of the border together.
Alternatively, combine several complementary shades to create a softer mixture of pink, red and white flowers.
What to Plant with Astrantias
The delicate flowers of Astrantias combine beautifully with other summer perennials.
Try them alongside hardy Geraniums, Salvias, Echinaceas, ferns and ornamental grasses, where their airy flowers can weave between stronger shapes and foliage.
Dark-flowered varieties such as 'Burgundy Manor' and 'Magical Red' are excellent for adding depth, while paler selections such as Sparkling Stars White can help brighten a border.
A Favourite with Pollinators
Astrantia flowers are also attractive to bees, hoverflies and other pollinating insects, adding another reason to include them in wildlife-friendly planting.
Their combination of long flowering, elegant form and pollinator value makes Astrantias particularly useful plants for modern perennial gardens as well as traditional cottage-style borders.
Our current 1L Astrantia collection is available now, with a wide selection of varieties to choose from both online and at the garden centre.
Whether you're looking for one plant to fill a gap or several plants to create a flowing drift through a border, there's an Astrantia to suit almost every planting scheme.
