Maybe you shouldn't have given up on the Asters so soon. They do require shearing-twice-during the summer to limit their growth. There are some shorter varieties too, like 'Purple Dome' that maybe would fit better for you.
I don't know of anything else that will give you the spectacular blooms that Asters give in the Sep/Oct time frame.

A fairly carefree mum is the My Favorite variety introduced by the U of MN.
They do not need to be pinched and do not need to be covered in the fall.
They can be sprawly so I put a support around them in the spring, They get very big, 30" around. Lots of colors available.

Chocolate Joe Pye has white blooms in Sept/October and the dark foliage is pretty throughout the summer.

I love my asters and agree that if one shears them they will be more compact.
I just trim them with my garden shears. Some will still need support and others will be fine on their own. Also have several varieties of different heights and colors.

Also Autumn Joy sedum are quite nice, and the birds enjoy eating from them during winter.
I really like my asters, they are stunning in the fall, what about solidago?
I just planted chocolate joe pye and solidago at the end of the season, so I'm excited to see how they perform.
I have mums too, and they are not as much work, I guess I don't mind pinching and covering them, it's a little extra effort, but I got them for 1.00 a piece.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

It wasn't even so much that the Asters needed to be sheared, which I did do last year. It was that they popped up all over the place like weeds. And I really didn't enjoy the flowers enough to make all that extra work worth it. I think it had a lot to do with the site conditions--which resulted in hyper Asters.

I had hyper Artemisia that did the same thing. I got tired of that, too, and replaced it with 'purple emperor' sedum which is a joy.

I think I just need plants that tend to like to stay put more. I ended up picking up some of the Minn Mums. I'm hoping with a spring planting they will end up being hardy, which sounds like kind of a crap shoot anyway.

So, do the Minn mums need pinching or are they the kind that don't?

I planted some asters last fall and have not seen any sign of them yet. Should "Snow Flurry Dwarf Asters" be coming up yet?

I'm gonna bet that your "Snow Flurry" Asters are DOA. Best contact the seller and ask for a refund or replacement.
I sheared my asters today, some were up around 2' already.
I did the neigbor's also since I forgot to tell her last year they needed to be cut back. Hence, in September I looked over in her yard to see a plant with 4 stalks 8 feet high, with red flowers climbing up the plant. what a wierd sight.

Thanks dandy_line. I took another good look today and saw nothing. I guess I'll have to find something else to put in that spot-- another spot I've have no luck with for two years running.

I emailed SpringHill, where I got the last Fall. They are going to ship me new plants-- but not until September. Still, that's good customer service.