November Birth Month Flower is Chrysanthemum

Botanical Name :	Chrysanthemum X morifolium (Dendranthema X grandiflorum)
Common Name :	Chrysanthemum, Mum, Florist Mum
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	kris-AN-the-mim X mor-i-FOL-i-um (den-DRAN-the-ma grand-I-FLOR-um)
Family Roots :	Member of the Asteraceae or Compositae (aster or sunflower) family. Native to China. Common relatives include Cosmos, Dahlia, Calendula, Zinnia, strawflower, lettuce, artichoke and endive.
Personality :	Composite heads of ray and disk flowers in numerous forms and sizes at ends of branches. Stems are leafy, usually branched or pinched to form one or more flowered stems. Plant is a semi-woody perennial, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined. Flowers are not fragrant in the typical manner but may be aromatic.
Availability :	Year-round.
Flower Color :	Shades of red, pink, orange, bronze, yellow and white.
Decorative Life :	7-14 days, some types last longer.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Low
Ethylene Comments :	Not sensitive at generally encountered ethylene levels in the commercial world. At higher levels, growth can be stunted (internodes shortened) and leaf fall is possible.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Make sure stems are cut above any woody portions to ensure good water uptake and do not pound stem ends, as this does not increase water uptake. Rather, remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. Deionized water may reduce vaselife compared to tap or well water. The sugar in flower food is required for florets to develop to maturity. Foliage yellowing and wilting can be due to improper storage, growing conditions and/or high levels of sugar in the vase solution. Using commercially sold benzyladenine sprays or uptake solutions can retard leaf yellowing. A more novel approach is to place freshly harvested cut stems into a 3-4% methanol and water solution for 12-24 hours at 70F prior to shipping. Flowers failing to open entirely generally means that they were harvested too immature and/or they were exposed to high temperatures after harvest.
Storage Specifics :	Storage at 36-38 F (3 days or less) is fine, 32-34 F (if over 3 days). Stems with well-developed buds may be stored for up to 3 weeks.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Plants grown at high (93%) relative humidity lasted longer after harvest compared to those grown at 81 and 70%.
Tidbits :	From Greek "dendron" (tree) and "anthemon" (flower). Many flower forms exist-standards have one flower per stem, spray mums are branched with several flowers per stem. Some form classes are daisy, spider (Fuji), quill, football, pompon, cushion, button and spoon. The "X" in the name means that it is a hybrid between at least two species. The specific epithet name grandiflorum means large flowers. Mums have been cultivated in China for 2000 years, infusions of the leaves and flowers were used as medicine and fermented into wine. The dew collected from the flowers was said to promote longevity. The mum was introduced to Japan in 400 AD and became the emblem of the imperial family. Name was recently changed back to Chrysanthemum X morifolium. It is a short day plant meaning that it will only flower when the days are short and the night long. That is why it naturally only flowers in the fall. At other times of the year the light/dark periods of the day have to be controlled by growers to promote flowering. Mums reached Europe in the late 18th century, where the Chusan daisy became known as the pompon chrysanthemum because it resembled tassels on French sailors' hats. In Italy, mums are associated only with funerals and death. Some favorite cultivars and their respective flower colors include 'White Diamond' (white), 'Pelee' (orange and yellow) 'Shasta' (white), 'Regal Davis' (purple) and 'Miramar' (yellow). Appearance of pink/red coloration on petals for cultivars not of this color indicates old flowers and/or flowers grown too cold. Material leaking out of carnation stems held in the same container as mums can often reduce the life of the mums. 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. Today, the flower heads, when dried, are used to flavor soups and stews and as coloring for butter. According to Creasy (1999), fresh petals are edible. Can be used in salads and teas or sprinkled over clear soups. Chrysanthemum is the Birth Month Flower for November: http://www.hoogasian.com/BirthMonthFlowers.html

 615 7th St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA

Real Local Florist™ in San Francisco

Hoogasian Flowers is a Real Local Florist™ in San Francisco. 

Harold Hoogasian wants to be sure everyone knows it!

It's Dahlia Time!

The Dahlia is the Official City Flower of 

The City of San Francisco!

The flowers shown below were photographed this season

at The Dahlia Garden in Golden Gate Park

(Next to The Conservatory of Flowers)

Aster is September Birth Month Flower

Aster is September Birth Month Flower

Aster novi-belgii

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.

August Birth Month Flower is Gladiolus

August Birth Month Flower is Gladiolus

Botanical Name :	Gladiolus spp.
Common Name :	Sword Lily
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	glad-ee-O-lus
Family Roots :	Member of the Iridaceae (iris family). Native to South Africa. Cousins include Iris, freesia, crocus, ixia and Watsonia.
Personality :	Normally has 10-16 flowers (4-10 inches or more in length) on a one-sided spike at end of stem. Stems are thick, fleshy, up to 4 feet long. Plant is a perennial from corms, classed as a monocotyledon, leaves mostly parallel veined. While a few cultivars are sweetly scented, most have no fragrance.
Availability :	Mid-spring through fall.
Flower Color :	Most, except true blue.
Decorative Life :	6-10 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Low
Ethylene Comments :	Gladiolus flowers are believed to be insensitive to ethylene. However, while STS treatment does not extend the life of open florets, it does promote the opening of more flowers on spikes with a net effect of increased vaselife. It is unknown at the time of this writing if MCP would provide the same results.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. Pulsing stems with a 20% sugar solution at room temperature for 24 hours can aid in the opening of more florets per stem, just like when treated with STS. To make a 20% solution, add 1.5 pounds of sugar to one gallon of a freshly made fresh flower food solution made with hot water. Note that the water needs to be hot to aid in dissolving the sugar. Stems are geotropic which means they bend upward from gravity. Handle in vertical position to prevent bending or handle horizontally only at 32-34 degrees F. Removing a few immature flower buds at the tip of the spike as recommended by some to help open lower, more mature flowers is not supported by research. Removal of lower, more mature flowers as they wilt will not help open upper flowers and in fact reduces their ability to open. Placing flowers in fluoride containing water can reduce vaselife, namely, levels as low as 0.25 ppm is all that is needed.
Storage Specifics :	Generally 32-38F. However, some cultivars grown in Florida are reported to be chill sensitive and therefore are stored at 45 degrees F. No research is available to confirm this report. In addition, there is data to support the use of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide storage and/or packaging of mini-glads ('Adi'). Flowers stored for 14 days at 35F had good subsequent vaselife.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Cultivar selection is important. For example, some good mini glads are 'Adi' (currant-red), 'Kinnereth' (violet), 'Ronit' (purple), 'Yamit' (violet) and 'Nirit (blood-red). Spraying plants 2 weeks before flowers are harvested with a 2% calcium nitrate solution greatly reduces stem topple (breakage) disorder after harvest. Addition of calcium to the soil has little benefit in preventing this postharvest disorder. Harvest when 1-5 flowers on a spike are showing color.
Tidbits :	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

July Birth Month Flower is 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

June Birth Month Flower is The Rose

Botanical Name :	Rosa spp. and hybrids
Common Name :	Rose, Hybrid Tea, Sweetheart, Spray Roses
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	ROW-za
Family Roots :	The most famous member of the Rosaceae (rose family). Native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Common relatives include almond, cherry, apple, raspberry, spirea, cotoneaster, firethorn, hawthorn, service-berry, quince, blackberry, Geum, prune, plum and pear.
Personality :	Flowers with many (~40-60) petals, 2-6 inches across at ends of stems or branchlets. Stems thorny, leafy, cut generally to 18-36 inches long. Plant is a deciduous shrub, classed as a dicotyledon. Flower fragrances go from none to various such as tea-like, spicy, musky, fruity or citrus.
Availability :	Year-round.
Flower Color :	Many including white, pink, yellow, orange, red, lavender and lots in between.
Decorative Life :	From 4-16 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Varies
Ethylene Comments :	Some cultivars are sensitive to ethylene, with premature petal fall of malformed flowers the result. Therefore, one may want to treat with an anti-ethylene product.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a hydration solution followed by flower food or directly into a fresh flower food solution. In very recent research (Reid, et al., 1998), it was shown that using a hydration solution is not an advantage and that roses can be placed and stored in flower food solution for best overall results. Consider testing postharvest fungicide dips or sprays if Botrytis is a continuing problem. One recommended dip treatment is using Ornalin-50WP at 1.5-3.0 pounds per 100 gallons of water or Phyton-27 at 10-12.5 ounces per 100 gallons of water. Some cultivars respond well to the addition of a wetting agent, especially if they are to be (or were) dry stored. One wetting agent that works well is Agral-LN as well as many types classified as alkylethoxylates. The presence of hooks will only reduce flower life if held in water. The highest flower respiration rate is before the flowers are harvested, when the calyx is reflexing away from the flower bud. Using flower foods can help overcome some of the negative effects of chemicals leaching out of rose leaves when they are below the water line in vases and buckets. Botrytis fungal infection appears as brown blotches on petals or fuzzy gray patches on stems or leaves. To reduce chances of infection, maintain relative humidity below 94% and keep foliage and flowers dry. It is also important to know that some cultivars are less susceptible to Botrytis such as 'Escimo', 'Sugar Baby', 'Frisco', 'Mercedes', 'Lambada' and 'Tina'.
Storage Specifics :	Best at 32-34F, wet or dry for 1-2 weeks. When 'Ambiance' was held wet or dry between 32 and 50F, no difference in vaselife was noted between wet and dry at a given temperature. However, there was an advantage for wet holding when held at 55F. Therefore, dry storage/transport is recommended unless exposure to high temperatures (>40F) is possible. Controlled atmosphere (low oxygen and/or high carbon dioxide) storage of 'First Red' either was of no benefit or was detrimental
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Harvesting flowers just one day too soon can result in ~37% less water going through the region right below the flower thus greatly increasing the chances for bent neck. Cultivar and root stock decision can greatly influence postharvest characteristics. If irrigation water is used that is at a lower temperature than the production air temperature, stomata development can be altered and thereby result in flowers that do not last as long a vaselife compared to plants irrigated with water at or above the production air temperature. Flowers produced under warmer night temperatures (~63F) opened better after harvest than those grown cooler night (~55F) night temperatures. Flowers grown in greenhouses with air movement of 30 feet (9.1 meters) per minute or more will develop about half the Botrytis infection compared to no air movement. At about 18 feet (5.5 meters) per minute infection is reduced by about 15%. The vaselife of 'Garnette', 'Zorina' and 'Bacarra' decreased as growing temperatures decreased. The best vaselive was obtained when flowers were grown at 70-75F. Vase solution uptake is improved for warmer grown flowers. For example, roses grown at 75F took up about twice as much vase solution as ones grown at 54F. Roses grown under low temperatures can have more chemicals in their leaves that can reduce flower live when they leach out of leaves that are below the water line in vases or buckets compared to roses grown at higher temperatures.
Tidbits :	Cut flowers sold in several forms: hybrid tea (large, one flower per long stem), sweetheart (smaller, one flower per shorter stem), spray (several small flowers on branched stem). Even in the Middle Ages, when most plants were grown solely for practical or medicinal purposes, the rose was cultivated for its beauty alone. Yet, the rose "hip" or flower base has been known for many years as a source for vitamin C. Today there are hundreds of rose cultivars. With names like "Ingrid Bergman," "Movie Star," "Lipstick", "Sexy Rexy" and "Vogue," we are reminded of what the image of the rose evokes feelings of romance, passion, enchantment and fascination. You cannot go wrong making a loving statement with roses. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology lists this species as an allergy-safe pollen producing plant. According to Creasy (1999), fresh petals are edible. Can be used in jellies, rose water, vinegars, honey, syrups, salads and sorbets. Rose cultivars are often known to consumers because this is nearly the only flower sold by florists that retain their cultivar names. Common ones include Madame Delbard and Visa (red), Osiana (peach), Aalsmeer Gold (yellow), Eskimo (white), Tango and Mercedes (orange) and Peckabo and Sonia (pink). More non-red cultivars should be marketed based on consumer research. Problems and cultivar examples include bent neck (Cara Mia), improper opening due to ethylene (Royalty) or too many petals (Classy), petal drop due to ethylene (Lovely Girl), breaking at upper leaf node (Visa), petal blackening (Royalty) and entire flower fall (Osiana).
Recent Research Findings :	Using 'Scarlet Pimpernel', Williamson et al. (1995) showed clearly that relative humidity above 94% stimulated Botrytis development on petals within 24 hours at 60F, even when no free water was present on the petals! This finding goes against the common belief that free water had to be present for the disease to develop. Using 'Sonia', de Stigter (1980) showed that ~50% of the water loss of a cut rose is via the petals with the remaining ~50% via leaves. Using 'Sonia', Ferreira and de Swardt (1981) showed that flowers with all leaves removed lasted 12 days in flower food and 10 days in deionized water. However, with 4 leaves remaining, those in flower food lasted 16 days and 6 days in deionized water. The end result is to make sure that at least 4 leaves remain on every stem and flower food is utilized. See More at Hoogasian Flowers Birth Month Flowers: http://www.hoogasian.com/BirthMonthFlowers.html

April Birth Month Flower is Daisy

 

Daisy

The Daisy is the flower bringer of good fortune and blissful pleasure.
It is thought that the name "daisy" is a corruption of "day's eye", because the whole head closes at night and opens in the morning.
The most common characteristic of all these plants, is that what in common parlance might be called a "flower", is an inflorescence or flower head; a densely packed cluster of many small, individual flowers, usually called florets (meaning "small flowers") .Often considered a weed on lawns, though many also value the appearance of the flowers. Several cultivars and hybrids have been selected with much larger flowerheads up to 5-6 cm diameter and with light pink to purple-red ray florets.

Hoogasian Flowers at NCCA

Hoogasian Flowers participated at the Northern California Concierge Association Vendor Event at the Hilton San Francisco on March 26th. Harold Hoogasian and Nikki Hoogasian (pictured) were in attendance and met with concierges from dozens of hospitality venues from all over Northern California. The "swag" of the day was Sterling Silver Roses and gardenias. We "made the day" of several attendees by spreading the joy of the fragrance of Sterling Silver Roses (grown in Petaluma) and gardenias. It was a fun afternoon meeting new friends and catching up with business associates from as long as 35 years ago!

The poster we used outlined the "Top Ten Reasons" to choose Hoogasian Flowers as Primary Florist for Your Hospitality Venue:

10. Hoogasian Flowers is a 35+ year member of the San Francisco Travel Association (formerly SFCVB) and we know how important the servicing of our visitor needs is to ALL the businesses in San Francisco.

9. We’re Open Every Day of The Year (just like your hotel)!

8. Real, live San Francicans answer our phones, take orders 24 hours a day! If your guest needs flowers delivered tomorrow in the Bay Area or on the East Coast
or anywhere in between, we’ll take it off your plate, 24/7/365!

7. You can order in person, by phone, online, fax, e-mail, Smart phone app or
through our mobile site... that’s 7 ways.

6. We offer delivery 24 hours a day! (after hours charges may apply)

5.  We have the experience to handle any customer request, we’ve done:
1000’s of weddings, 100’s of rock concerts and one Papal Visit (1987)!

4. We operate the largest flower shop in San Francisco (10,000ft2)!

3. Members of the Hoogasian Family have been involved in retail floristry
in San Francisco for over 80 years. Some imply tradition or longevity...
Our slogan is : “Serving San Francisco for 4 generations...”  and it’s true!

2. Easy to remember phone number: 1(800) BAY-AREA!

and the #1 Reason to Choose Hoogasian Flowers as your primary florist:

1. 100%, no questions asked satisfaction guarantee...
well, no, actually the REAL number one reason is that Hoogasian Flowers is family owned by a family that lives in San Francisco... Our Name is on every order and
our reputation’s on the line every day, so we will get it right for you, every time!

The Weather is Great and Our Roses are Even Better!

We are blessed with great spring time weather and the roses are just fantastic! To celebrate, we invite anyone who reads this to drop by our 615 Seventh Street location on Sunday, March 10th during business hours 10a-2p and get a FREE California Grown Rose from Sonoma County. No purchase is necessary. One per person present.

March Birth Month Flower is Daffodil

March Birth Month Flower is Daffodil

Daffodil

The birth flower for March is daffodil. In the language of flowers, daffodils symbolize chivalry, respect, modesty and faithfulness.
Daffodils form a group of large-flowered members of the genus Narcissus. Most daffodils look yellow, but yellow-and-white, yellow-and-orange, white-and-orange, pink, and lime-green cultivars also exist. Daffodils grow perennially from bulbs. In temperate climates they flower among the earliest blooms in spring: to this extent daffodils both represent and herald spring. They often grow in large clusters, covering lawns and even entire hillsides with yellow.
Daffodils belong to the genus Narcissus. Daffodil is the common English name for them all, and Narcissus is the Latin, botanical name for them all. Some people refer to daffodils as "jonquils", from the Spanish name for the flower.
The name of the flower is derived from an earlier "affodell", a variant of asphodel. The reason for the introduction of the initial "d" is not known, though from at least the sixteenth century "Daffadown Dilly" or "daffadowndilly" has appeared as a playful synonym of the name. What a fancy March birth flower.

February Birth Month Flower is Violet

Violet

Botanical Name :	Saintpaulia ionantha and S. spp.
Common Name :	African Violet
Product Use :	Flowering Plant
Pronunciation :	saint-PAUL-li-uh eye-o-NAN-tha
Family Roots :	One of the more famous members of the Gesneriaceae (gesneria family). Native to coastal Tanzania. Three relatives are cape-primrose, Episcia and gloxinia.
Availability :	Year-round.
Flower Color :	Many including white, pink, blue, purple, bicolors.
Decorative Life :	Months to years, depending on use.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Medium
Ethylene Comments :	While researchers have documented the beneficial effects of spraying STS on potted and bedding plants (including this species) to prevent or reduce ethylene-induced disorders, labels for registered STS products only give directions for uptake solutions, not sprays. Therefore, Chain of Life Network cannot recommend STS as a spray until it is properly registered for this application method. Only MCP is presently registered for this application method.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Irrigate with warm or room temperature water. Cold water coming in contact with leaves can damage leaf cells and leave spots. Irrigating from the bottom is another way to avoid this problem. If interior environments are proper, plants can flower throughout the year. However, if placed in 150 ft-c or less of light, plants typically stop flowering after about one month due to a lack of carbohydrate (food) production.
Storage Specifics :	Chill sensitive, store above 55F.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Growing plants using 150 ppm nitrogen produced longer lasting plants after harvest than those grown using 200-300 ppm. There are literally thousands of cultivars, many of which respond very differently to interior environments. Therefore, cultivar selection is very important in determining postharvest performance. Plants grown under high relative humidity (90-95%) produced more dry weight than when grown under lower humidity (55-60%).
Tidbits :	The specific epithet name ionantha means purpled-flowered. Saintpaulia: named after the discoverer of the plant, Baron Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire, 1860-1910. This is likely the most popular of all flowering house plants because it generally flowers year-round. Seems to thrive on neglect under interior conditions. Often grown under artificial lights. Easy to reproduce by cuttings. Will generally do well in light levels bright enough to read a newspaper in comfort. Sunny window in winter and filtered light in summer. Too much sun can burn the foliage while too little light will cause the leaf stems (petioles) to elongate and flowering will decrease. Violet is the Birth Month Flower for February See More Birth Month Flowers: http://www.hoogasian.com/BirthMonthFlowers.html

Old Friend

Was in Kona working at Ho'onanea (the farm where we grow Kona Perfect Coffee). While in Kailua Town, I ran into Uncle Billy. Uncle Billy is a Rotarian and I first met him 20 years ago (he is now 90 years old and gets around on his scooter). He was the source of referral for realtors on the Big Island and, ultimately, was the reason we became property owners in Kailua and Holualoa! His daughter runs Keoki's Donkey Balls in Kailua. Uncle Billy's Kona Bay Hotel and Uncle Billy's Hilo Bay Hotel are the two "local" hotels for Kama'aina to stay on the Big Island. Just another day in Paradise!

January Birth Month Flower is Carnation

Botanical Name :	Dianthus caryophyllus
Common Name :	Carnation, Standard Carnation
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	dy-AN-thus ka-ree-AHF-i-lus
Family Roots :	Member of the Caryophyllaceae (pink family). Native from Southern Europe to India. Common relatives include baby's breath, lychnis, silene and sweet William.
Personality :	Flowers are up to 3 inches in diameter. Most flowers are double forms with many ruffled petals. Plant is a herbaceous perennial, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined. Some flowers are fragrant, clove-like.
Availability :	Year-round.
Flower Color :	Most but not blue and may bicolors.
Decorative Life :	Can last from 7-21 plus days depending on cultivar, harvest stage, flower food and/or anti-ethylene treatments. In addition, genetically engineered cultivars like 'Eilat' reportedly can last 24-26 days in water with no flower food or other chemical treatments.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	High
Ethylene Comments :	Ethylene accelerates petal wilting (sleepiness). Should be treated with an anti-ethylene product. Flowers exposed to short term water stress conditions become more sensitive to ethylene.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. This species almost always responds well to under water cutting. Water stress symptoms are often hidden even though the flowers are being damaged. Specifically, water stress conditions can stimulate an earlier production of ethylene production enzymes that can become even more active after rehydration. Therefore, ethylene action inhibitors (but not synthesis inhibitors) can reduced the ethylene mediated negative effects associated with water stress. While MCP treatment can be very effective in preventing ethylene damage, petals recover about 50% of their ethylene sensitivity in 4 days whereas STS treatments have longer effectiveness. In another study, no differences were found between STS and MCP treatments. Cycloheximide is an antibiotic that works by inhibiting protein synthesis. It also happens to extend the life of carnations. Unfortunately, cycloheximide is not available for use in the floral industry and is only mentioned here in hopes that it will stimulate someone into finding a similar protein synthesis inhibitor that could be used by growers and/or florists.
Storage Specifics :	Bud-harvested flowers can be stored for up to 4 months at 31-33 F. Normal storage is best at 32-34 degrees F. When 'Imperial White' was held wet or dry between 32 and 50F, no difference in vaselife was noted between wet and dry at a given temperature. However, there was an advantage for wet holding when held at 55F. Therefore, dry storage/transport is recommended unless high temperatures (>40F) are possible. Pulsing freshly harvested bud cut flowers for 20 hours at 40F with either 10-20 ppm gibberellic acid (GA3) or a mixture of 5-10 ppm benzyladenine + 20 ppm naphthaleneacetic acid resulted in flowers that opened faster and laster longer after 5 weeks of dry storage at 32-34F. Some cultivars were damaged when stored at 32-33F for 3 weeks suggesting that some cultivars might be chill sensitive. Flowers should be treated with STS, MCP, AOA, or AVG propr to storage.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Calyx splitting is an occasional problem, which is sometimes reduced by wrapping flowers in the bud stage with tape. Preharvest factors like greenhouse covering (glass is better), plant age (older is better), cultivar and time of year (fall is best) all can have significant effects on postharvest flower life. The higher the dry weight of a flower stem at the time of harvest, the longer the flower will last.
Tidbits :	Ingestion may cause minor illness. Frequent handling may cause dermatitis. The name carnation is from the Latin "carnis" meaning flesh, alluding to the pale pink color of the flower. In Greek "dianthus" means the flower of Jove. Carnations are said to have sprung up from the tears of Mary as she made her way to Calvary. The pink carnation became the symbol of mother-love and of Mother's Day, created in 1907 in Philadelphia. The scientific name is from the Greek "dios" (divine) and "anthos" (flower). Carnations are graded according to stem length and flower number for spray types. While they seemingly never wilt, they do suffer from water stress with a resulting increase in ethylene sensitivity and/or production and the damage induced by this gas. Carnation is the Birth Month Flower for January See More Birth Month Flowers: http://www.hoogasian.com/BirthMonthFlowers.html

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