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Gerbera Daisies – Coming Soon to Your Local Grocer

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Here we are readying Gerbera Daisies to wet pack and ship to a grocery distribution center. They are lined up like this so packers can walk by and grab a different color bunch from each bucket so the box going to each store has assorted colors.

This photo was unplanned; I dropped by the gerb packing area to grab a bunch for a bouquet sample I was working on. When I saw the gerberas, I couldn’t resist whipping out my iPhone for a photo. The photo quality isn’t the greatest, but I thought it was a cool moment to share.

I’ll do a more comprehensive post on Gerberas another time. Gerbera greenhouses are probably the most colorful of all cut flower greenhouses.

Matsumoto Asters – My Happy Flower!

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I walked the farm today and fell in love again with Matsumoto Asters. They are so bright and cheerful you can’t help but feel happy when you walk by them.

Matsumotos are part of the Aster family. The botanical name is “Callistephus Chenisis”. I think they are well named; Callistephus means “Beautiful Crown”. They are originally from Eastern Asia.

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Matsumotos are also called “Rainbow Asters” as they come in a wide variety of colors – peach, yellow, light pink, dark pink, red, white lavender, purple and bi-colors.

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Colorful, long-lasting and hardy, Matsumoto Asters are an excellent cut flower. They are great by themselves or in a mixed bouquet.

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I found a lot of different possible meanings for Aster. They include….. Afterthought (kind of a depressing meaning). Contentment and Love (my favorite meaning). Watchful Eye. I will think of it.

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Asters are the official flower for September birthdays.

Strange fact: According to Wikipedia, supporters of the 1918 Hungarian Revolution wore Aster flowers. The movement was thus dubbed the “Aster Revolution”.

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Happy Mother’s Day!

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Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms.  I have been blessed in my life with a great mom. Loving, bright, supportive, fun, honest, and tough when I needed it.  In her honor, here is some virtual sunshine for all the moms out there.