The rules for posting are simple!

1. Every Friday post a photo that includes one or more flowers.
2. Please only post photos you have authority to use.
3. Include a link to this blog in your post - http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.com/
4. Leave the link to your FloralFridayFoto post below on inlinkz.
5. Visit other blogs listed ... comment & enjoy!

When to Post:
inlinkz will be available every Thursday and will remain open until the next Wednesday.

Wednesday 21 March 2012

FFF18 - EASTER DAISIES

Easter (or Michaelmas) daisies (Aster novi-belgii) were once popular in gardens, but are less frequently seen now. They are herbaceous perennials with upright, much-branched stems on which masses of small daisies are produced in late summer and autumn. The flowers range in colour from white through pale lilac blue, mauve, purple and pink to deep reddish plum. They can be planted in mixed borders and can also be used effectively in beds on their own. The taller varieties often need staking, and are best planted at the back of garden beds.

A. novi-belgii was introduced from North America into Britain in 1710. In America they were called New York daisies, however, in England these plants bloomed at the same time as St Michael's Day is celebrated (September 29th), and so they became associated with the festival of Michaelmas and were given its name. In the Southern hemisphere where Easter is an Autumnal feast, the daisies bloom at about this time and hence the term "Easter Daisies".
These daisies are easy to grow. Plant them in full sun in a rich, moisture-retentive soil. When they die down in winter cut the dead stems back to ground level. When the new shoots appear in spring, apply a mulch of well-rotted manure or compost to which fertiliser has been added. Lift and divide the clumps every second or third year in winter.


Please join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below, and please leave a comment once you have done so!




20 comments:

  1. oh ... what an intense color, this is a real eye-catcher ...

    Greetings from the vernal Germany

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  2. How lovely and so vibrant!

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  3. Nice composition! The blurry background lifts the beauty of this flower! The purple and gold is a famous color combination, especially if you are a basketball fan.

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  4. I can never get enough of the purple flowers. These are lovely!

    Thank you for your comments on my blog, and thank you for the invitation to join in this meme.
    ;-)

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  5. I love their color, they look like cosmos too!

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  6. Cute pictures of decorative Asters!
    Good information!
    Last spring I planted Asters in my garden. I hope they show up
    for a while!

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  7. Your Easter daisies look very much like the wild asters that grow here in the desert Southwest of the U.S.

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  8. You have Easter Daisies, well, Michaelmas daisies really :-) and I have an Easter cactus, which used to go by the name Schlumbergera gaertneri, but no sooner had I memorized that, or they changed the name to Rhipsalidopsis.
    None of these trip off the tongue.
    So nice to be in the floral ascendant again :-)

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  9. How interesting that you know these asters as Easter daisies.

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  10. These daisies are such a wonderful shade of lilac! So wonderful en masse!

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  11. purple flowers are my favorite! a perfect flower for Easter.

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  12. great color on those daisies. :)


    I wonder why you call this meme Floral Friday when you open on wednesday?? Makes me wonder if it is any idéa to post. Thanks for hosting anyway.

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  13. Hello, your floral meme is growing -exciting! We called our oldest "Margriet" which is the Dutch translation for daisy. Also, it's one of the Dutch princess' names.

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  14. I have seen these, but I never knew they were called Easter daisies :) The colors are fabulous, and interestingly enough - Eastery!

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  15. I love daisies...
    The beautiful little flowers bloom
    in our area in late summer and fall.

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  16. The colours are beautiful and the photo is just lovely!

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  17. So many beautiful blooms in your shot. I love that purple color.
    I am looking forward to seeing the daisies in my garden bloom but I don't think they will make it by Easter.

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  18. Beautiful! Have a nice day!

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  19. I'm your latest follower and will be linking up here on Friday.

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