September Birth Month Flower is Aster

Botanical Name :

Aster novi-belgii

Common Name :

Michaelmas Daisy, New York Daisy, Aster

Product Use :

Cut Flower

Pronunciation :

A-ster NO-vee BEL-gee-ee

Family Roots :

Member of the Asteraceae or Compositae (aster or sunflower) family.

Native to the Eastern US.

Related species include sunflower, daisy, gerbera and chrysanthemum.

Personality :

Flowers are daisy-like heads to 1 inch across with colored ray florets and yellow centers.

Stems leafy, branched, 2-3 feet long.

Plant is a herbaceous perennial, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined.

flowers not fragrant.

Availability :

Nearly year-round.

Flower Color :

White, pink, lavender, red and blue.

Decorative Life :

5-10 days.

Ethylene Sensitivity :

Low

Post Harvest
Care Opportunities :

Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place in plain tap water containing regular household bleach (about 20 drops [1/4 teaspoon] per quart).

Stiff hairs on leaves can be irritating to skin.

Storage Specifics :

32-38 degrees F. However, because of the many cultivars and even species, making broad storage temperature recommendations is difficult. For example, Aster bigelovii, more accurately known as Machaeranthera bigelovii, has an optimum storage temperature of 45 degrees F.

Tidbits :

Flower aficionados recommend constant "pinching back" of the leaves and petals to best preserve the flowers' form.

Latin for "star," after its star-like flower shape, the aster was originally recognized for its healing properties. It was said that, when beaten with old hogs grease, and applied, that aster was good for "the biting of a mad dogge".

The Compositae or aster family is vast, with over 20,000 species, and is also one of the most developed families. It was named Compositae because the flowers are actually a "composite" of many individual flowers into one head. Hence, when children pull one "petal" off at a time, saying "she/he loves me, loves me not", they are actually removing a complete flower, not just a petal.



http://www.hoogasian.com/September-Birth-Month-Flower-Aster.html

August Birth Month Flower is Gladiolus

Gladiolus means sword in Latin, referring to the long pointed leaves. This might explain one early common name, sword lily.

Miniature forms are available with stems under 2 feet long. Grown from corms, not bulbs. The first species as we know them today were introduced from Ghent, Belgium in 1841.

Flower forms: ruffled, fringed, orchid-like, tulip-like and rose-like.

Some cultivars are sensitive to fluoride found in water supplies, which can result in flower tip burn.

Shorter cultivars are available which has transformed this stereotypic funeral flower into a contemporary favorite.

See more Birth Month Flowers:

http://www.hoogasian.com/BirthMonthFlowers.html

Siena Rose Bodon Smiles in the Shop

Siena Rose Bodon visited Hoogasian Flowers today with her mom and dad. Her Nona, Nikki, happened to be visiting. She and Christine (Mom) coaxed a little fifth generation San Franciscan to smile in her grandpa's flower shop long enough to capture this picture.

280 Southbound Trees Need to Be Trimmed!

The video shows 280 South of the 25th street off ramp. As one
drives in the outside (slow) lane, one will come upon an on ramp
of traffic. You can't see the traffic until that traffic is
already up to speed and the driver already in the traffic lane is
obliged to slow down (often) to avoid hitting the merging traffic.
The merging traffic does not see the extant traffic and the reason
both drivers can't see the other is the grove of overgrown trees.
The trees should be pruned down to the level of the road bed and
drivers in both traffic flows (the outside lane already driving
AND the on ramp traffic) could see the other and better anticipate
the merge.

Did You Know That The Artichoke is A Flower?

Most folks don't care much for scooping out the hairy threads on the top of an artichoke heart. Until now, have you ever seen what happens to the green flower you eat (YES, the artichoke is a FLOWER!) gets a chance to mature (i.e. BLOOM)? Well, those little hairy threads turn a rich purple color and the resultant flowers is called a Cordone Blossom.

The single flower shown above is over 8 inches in diameter! The flowers shown are California Grown as are most artichokes. Very few are used for ornamental purposes and those are usually only available in the summer months.

Learn even more about flowers at: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html
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Larkspur is July Birth Month Flower

Larkspur

Botanical Name :	Consolida spp.
Common Name :	Larkspur
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	con-SOL-i-da
Family Roots :	Member of the Ranunculaceae (buttercup family). Native to the Mediterranean region. Related species include buttercup, clematis, anemone, monkshood, peony.
Personality :	Flowers are 1/2 inch wide, cup-shaped with a spur at the back and many occur in a long terminal spike. Stems leafy, 24-36 inches long. Plant is an annual, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined. Flowers are not fragrant.
Availability :	Year-round.
Flower Color :	Blue, lilac, pink, white.
Decorative Life :	4-12 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	High
Ethylene Comments :	Flower shattering easily results from ethylene exposure. It is therefore important to treat with an anti-ethylene product.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	For maximum bud opening, remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. Plant parts are poisonous so handle with care.
Storage Specifics :	36-38F (three days or less), 32-34F (more than three days), dry storage not recommended.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Harvest when 2-5 flowers are open.
Tidbits :	Consolida is from the Latin "to make whole" referring to possible medicinal properties. As a garden plant it is often plagued with insect and disease problems. The species often used for cut flowers are C. ambigua which is branched and in colors of light pink or blue and C. orientalis which is more upright and in bright pink and purple. Morphologically, it is different from a delphinium in that its two upper petals are united into one and is lacking the two lower petals. Regardless of this distinction, most cannot tell the difference between these two genera. Suitable for drying, hang upside down in ventilated area at 70-80 F for 2-4 weeks. When purchasing, try to avoid hollow-stemmed ones and those infested with mildew (leaves look gray). Harvest when 2-4 flowers are open. With hundreds of dainty flowers clustered on a single stem that swoops dramatically upward as if reaching for the sky, the Larkspur makes a stunning addition to any arrangement. Larkspur is the Birth Month Flower for July: http://www.hoogasian.com/BirthMonthFlowers.html See More Hoogasian Flowers A to Z at: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html

Source: http://chainoflifenetwork.org/