Try Planting Your Aster Flowers In Full Sun

Aster flowers are a very common plant in North American gardens. The name of the plant is derived from the Greek word, meaning "star." Asters are a member of the sunflower family even though they look like a daisy in appearance. The main characteristic of the aster is that all of them have yellow in the center of the flower. Aster is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, and order Asterales.

There are more than a hundred variations of this type of flower. They can range in size from less than a foot tall to over two feet. Both the large and small varieties can make wonderful additions to your garden. They also make wonderful flowers to stick in a vase or to give people as a present. Among the more showy native species that is cultivated in North American gardens are the blue or violet New York aster (A. novi-belgii) and the purple New England aster (A. novae-angliae).

Unlike most common flowers of North American which bloom in spring, asters bloom in the fall, from August through September. This flower is grown all over the world except Antarctica and Australia. Asters can be found in any shade and color with exception of orange and clear yellow. Such colors of the flowers as purple, blue, white and violet are predominant. The fruits of asters are known as achenes.

Asters are just one of the beautiful fall flowers that turn a mediocre fall garden into a beautiful, colorful haven that is a reminder of late spring or early summer. The aster is a perennial and easy to grow, even a beginning gardener will find them delightful to grow. There are several varieties and you will have a difficult time choosing the ones you want to grow.

You will want to check with your garden center or nursery for the hardiest aster plants for your region. Before planting, remember these three things: space, sun, and moist soil. Try planting your asters in full sun if you want them to thrive; most varieties like soaking up the rays of the sun all during the day. Rich soil will help them flourish, so adding compost will help the soil and it will also act as mulch.

The end of summer is usually the time when asters have a speedy growth period. At this time you will need to give them water on a weekly basis so they will not dry out. You need to make sure there is enough room between plants so they can get ample air movement. Asters do not have many pests, but sometimes will be a victim to a powdery mildew if water is left on the leaves or if they go without for any length of time. This can happen if they are overcrowded.

Do not be surprised if that dense mound of purple flowers you bought last fall is an open plant this year. Asters that are nursery grown will usually be sprayed with a regulator that minimizes its growth so it will not outgrow your container. When you plant them in a flower garden they will be much more open the next year.

However, if you want to keep your aster plant compact, you do not have to use growth regulators, all you have to do is pinch back the tip of each stem. This forces branching out on the sides easier. You can start the end of spring and pinch every two weeks in order to get a bushier plant. By cutting back your asters will delay the flowers by maybe a week or so, but that just means they will be blooming longer in the season.

If you have a flower bed of only asters you can pinch the asters in the front section of the flower garden but not the ones in the back. The un-pinched aster in the back of the flower bed will get taller and bloom the earliest. When they have completed blooming, the asters that you pinched in the front of the flower bed will bloom and hide the stems of the early bloomers. By doing this gives you more asters blooming for a longer period of time.

The meaning of this September birth flower is faith, love, wisdom and symbolizes valor. The Monte Casino is a popular aster and that flower is often used to symbolize afterthought or true love. The aster signifies fidelity in China. The alternative name of the flower is starworts or the Michaelmas daisy. A few species are used for food, as salad plants normally. The China aster is the common aster of florists as well as flower gardens.

The Growth Of Various Flower Varieties In Taiwan

Not a lot of people know that Taiwan is not only the treasure-trove of hi tech corporate businesses and white collar jobs, but also the world's biggest exporter of flowers. This has given a tremendous boost to mainland China's flower industry too.

The evolution of Taiwan into an industrial town in the second half of the 20th century has been phenomenal. This is often termed as the Taiwan miracle, which has propelled the island into stardom, making it the economic powerhouse of Asia. Taiwan, a large island located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, is now one of the world's foremost study-abroad destinations, attracting millions of students from across various countries.

The dynamic island has seen monumental growth in all the business sectors and only recently, stealthily, the island nation has become the world's biggest flower exporter with its flower industry notching up a whopping turnover of $111 million, in 2009. The industry grossed only $48 million in 1999. The Taiwanese government left no stone unturned and with the aid of modern technology, it successfully transformed what one would have considered as an exotic job sector into one of the most lucrative industries in this island of only 23 million. The country is now the world's top-notch and premier exporter of orchids. While learning Mandarin in China, do not miss out on a trip to Taiwan and get your hands on some of the most delightful orchids that you can take back home as gifts. However, much more needs to be done in order to effortlessly and successfully harvest flowers and generate more revenues from this industry, which is still in its fledgling state.

Taiwan is surrounded by water and in located in the subtropical region. Its topography and climate is quite favorable to the growth of various flower varieties. It has a booming floriculture industry and is a major exporter of flowers. Moreover, many tourists visit Taiwan during the blooming period of the flowers. They love to visit flower festivals of Taiwan to be mesmerized by the beauty of its flowers. Some of the popular flowers of Taiwan are mentioned below.

Plum Blossom

Plum blossom has been the national flower of Taiwan since 1964. The flower is available in shades of pink and white and has a delicate scent. The flower blooms from December to January. The major production areas of this flower include Xinyi, Shuili and Nantou County. This flower is highly appreciated in Taiwan and has become a part of the grand tour event. Moreover, it is a symbol of resilience as it is able to survive the harsh winter weather.

Cherry Blossom

This flower blooms during the spring season, from February to April. Diverse varieties of this flower can be found in Taiwan. The flower can also be found in different colors including red, pink and white. The cherry blossom has been brought to Taiwan from different countries including Japan. In the recent years, the blooming period of cherry blossom has been linked with festivities throughout the country.

Orchid

Taiwan is known to be the Land of Orchids. It has become one of the top exporters of orchids worldwide. Moreover, orchid exports have a large share in the total exports of the country. The orchids of Taiwan are popular throughout the world and flower lovers from across the globe visit orchid farms when they come to Taiwan. The butterfly orchid is one of the most popular varieties produced by Taiwan. The orchid is available in different colors in Taiwan including yellow, pink, red and white.

Chrysanthemum

This is another flower grown commercially in Taiwan and exported to other countries. The environment in the country is highly suitable for the growth of this popular flower. The flower has been cultivated in the country for many years and its cultivation is concentrated in central Taiwan. Moreover, Taiwan's chrysanthemums are popular worldwide and are available in a rainbow of colors including red, yellow and orange.

Cherokee Rose

Cherokee rose is a native to Taiwan and is grown in abundance in this country. It is usually white in color with a yellow center and is quite fragrant.

Besides these, various other flowers including water lilies, roses and lotuses are quite popular throughout the country.

Best Ways To Express Your Style Is Through Your Wedding Flowers

Your wedding is going to be the biggest party that you throw. It will be one of the most important days of your life, and you want it to be memorable for all who attend. It needs to be a well thought out event that speaks about the couple. This means many different things to different people, but one of the best ways to truly express your style is through your wedding flowers. Before you head off to the florist you need to sit down with your fiancee to discuss what you both want for your wedding. It is important that you remember that the wedding is about the two of you, and the design should incorporate both of your tastes. While you are having that discussion be sure to talk about what style on wedding flowers you both like, what colors you want your wedding to be centered around, and if there are any special blooms to the two of you that you want to have incorporated.

Additionally, be sure that you spend some time at your wedding location. Your needs will vary from location to location so do not try to design your floral scheme without having a solid location booked. Be sure to remember that you are going to need flowers for the bridal party, special guests, ceremony area, cocktail area if applicable, and the reception. You may find that certain locations require fewer blooms than others. In order to save money you want to choose a location that is inherently beautiful so that you do not have to add a significant amount of wedding flowers to create the atmosphere that you are looking for.

Some people don't know the importance of flowers for weddings. If one gives a thought to it, it will not be difficult to come to a point, where one will easily see that weddings are incomplete without flowers. They are essential for decorations, for a bride, for guests and also for many wedding rituals in certain cultures. In fact, without flowers, weddings in some cultures cannot be completed. The wedding day should be made special in all aspects and flowers have the potential to do so.

So, how can you use flowers for weddings? Well, flowers make your big day more cheerful, colorful, bright and memorable. They are an integral part of the wedding and they cannot be detached from your big day. Decoration is considered as the most important part of weddings. The right kind of flowers selected to adorn your wedding will not only make you or your partner happy, but will also impress those who have gathered to witness your union. So, how do you make them work for your special day?

Firstly, selecting the right kind of flowers is the most important aspect for floral decorations. Keep in mind the theme of your wedding and select the type of flowers you want. Completely opposite flowers can ruin the decoration. Hence, one should very careful while selecting flowers for decoration. There is a complete range of flowers for weddings and you can choose the right kind of flowers for your special day.

Next, you need to consider where the flowers should be coming from. Since the decorators would be contacting flower services, you need to make sure the florists involved in such dealings are reliable ones. Also, you need to be sure that those you choose should be fresh. If you want seasonal flowers for weddings, it won't do any good to have them out of cold storage. If you do not want fresh flowers for any reason, there are alternatives as well. Apart from fresh or seasonal ones to be more precise, artificial flowers can be used to decorate and grace your wedding day decorations. However, the ambiance and the grace fresh flowers bring upon is hard to achieve with artificial flowers.

One of the most important things you need to consider before getting them is the cost. They can be a risky business and they can be expensive, if rare or seasonal flowers are chosen. The best way to save money is to get them from a wholesaler. Usually, people leave it all to the decorators to look into such stuff, but these people end up with huge bills later on. You need to be involved with your wedding plans and decorations. Getting flowers from a wholesaler will reduce the entire cost building up on your wedding expenses. Reliable florists should be contacted for flower delivery and arrangements. Since your wedding is the biggest event in your life, you should be completely involved to make the day more memorable and most pleasant. Being involved with the arrangements will bring about the satisfaction you need with everything being perfectly planned.

Guide On How To Select Wedding Flowers For Every Season

When choosing your wedding date, there are many things you need to take into account. If you are one of those brides that has had your heart set on your wedding since you were a little girl, and that includes having your heart set in a certain kind of flower. Please make sure that you plan accordingly on the availability of your flowers. On the other hand, if you are that kind of bride that likes to take things as they come and are flexible, you will be fine with whichever flowers the season might bring during your wedding date.

Also, when choosing a wedding date, considering the season the colors for your wedding plays a huge part. If you have always dreamed of a purple, pink or pastel wedding, then you might want to choose any day in Spring. But if you are drawn into bright and strong colors, Summer will be best. For browns and earthy colors, the Fall season will provide you with the perfect floral colors. For deep reds, blues, whites and silvers chose Winter, it will complement your event.

As for colors, wedding flowers will complement your wedding décor in an extreme manner. To continue, I will provide you with a couple of ideas and mixtures for your centerpieces according to your wedding and the season that you chose.

With the hectic nature of planning a wedding, it's easy to forget about some of the details that make the day special. Choosing flowers can be an added pressure - especially if the task is left until the last minute. This is a brief guide on how to select flowers for each season of the year, with the intent of making the decision a little easier for the flustered couple.

Spring

Colour schemes for spring weddings are usually feminine and colourful, but perhaps not as bright as the colours seen during a summer or autumn occasion. The hues are traditionally more subdued - with subtle pinks, yellows, greens and blues all working very well.

Ranunculus, anemone, freesia are all common choices that work really well in a bouquet. However, the quintessential spring flower has to be the daffodil. In Britain, the appearance of daffodils marks the start of spring time, and therefore the flowers are often used to represent the start of a marriage.

Summer

There is a huge variety of traditional and exotic flowers available during the summer, which is ideal for those planning a wedding. There is a natural explosion of brightly coloured flowers that appear only in summertime, but the sheer volume of flowers can make the decision a tricky one.

Some of the flowers that are abundant during the summer months include roses, delphiniums, peonies and irises. There are some new varieties that are quickly becoming classics, such as the stunning 'Love-in-a-Mist' (also known as Nigella). This intricate, interleaved flowers allows for a completely new take on the floral bouquet.

Other classic summer garden flowers are also becoming popular for wedding bouquets and centre pieces such as sunflowers, hydrangeas, sweet peas and marigolds. These all work exceptionally well to brighten up any wedding and give it that summery ambiance.

Autumn

As the trees start to shed their leaves, there is a whole new colour palette to work with. Oranges, yellows and reds are definitely the quintessential colours of the season, but there is room for creativity in an arrangement, for instance using pine cones, berries and herbs for a hint of variety.

Flowers are still abundant in August, so the choices are plentiful. Mint, rosemary, ivy, rosehips, sages and geraniums are all in season at this time of year. The exotic looking Nerine plants are also just coming into bloom around this time and could be the perfect centre piece for a special occasion.

Winter

Despite the bare trees and cold weather, winter weddings are becoming more and more popular, due to the fantasy some couples have of the perfect, white, winter wedding. However, in winter flowers are in short supply - which has led to ever more innovative bouquets being produced by some very creative florists.

As usual, roses will suit the occasion - with white looking particularly stunning at this time of year. Colourful orchids can also look great when well balanced with neutral tones. But often, the centre piece will not contain a flower at all, but instead foliage. Holly, berries and vines add to the winter theme, and pussy willow can be an ideal alternative for any colourful flowers.

When it comes to choosing flowers for wedding bouquets, centre pieces, buttonholes etc. it is important to consider what time of year your wedding is taking place, as some flowers can be extremely expensive if not in season. It's all about balancing colour with plants that suit the time of year and theme of the wedding, in order to create a truly unforgettable day.