The Becky Shasta Daisy Perennial
Shasta daisies have been a mainstay of a classic perennial or cut flower garden for years and the Becky is one of the best. The Becky Shasta Daisy gives you stunning great color summer into the fall, which is one of the reasons she was chosen as the 2003 Perennial of the Year.
The benefits of the Becky Shasta Daisy are that it is one of the best cut flowers for your garden, attracts butterflies, has amazing heat tolerance, and has a long bloom period.
Growing Beautiful Becky Shasta Daisies
The Becky Shasta Daisy will grow best in moist, well-drained soil that dries out between watering. It prefers a full sun area of the garden but can also tolerate a little shade.
Although there are many varieties of Shasta Daisies, Becky puts out… blooms that is. She will become a living bouquet of four inch diameter classic white flower heads with a yellow center on a plant that reaches three to four feet tall.
This winter-hardy perennial has dark green shiny leaves that also hold up well in the heat of summer with strong stems that don’t require staking. Remove spent flower heads to continue a prolonged flowering period. Mature width is anywhere from 36-48 inches. In your garden you should consider using these as a mass planting for a more impressive effect or use them as a border along a pathway. The Becky Shasta Daisy will also work great in container plantings as a result of their summer through fall bloom time.
Creating the Perfect Soil for the Becky Shasta Daisy
When first planting the Becky Shasta Daisy, incorporate into the soil a rich compost such as Bumper crop*, along with some peat moss*. This will provide a perfect soil foundation for new plants that can retain water and nutrients. To help in drought conditions use Espoma Bio-tone soil conditioner* with beneficial mycorrhizae. This will help establish a large healthy root system. Follow with a monthly feed of Espoma Flower-Tone. In late fall, cut the stems back to the ground. Every two to three years, divide the root clumps to help maintain the vigor of this great plant.
The Becky Shasta Daisy has proven to be a great dependable addition to any garden and once established. It will greet all who enter your garden for years to come. The Becky Shasta Daisy is super easy to grow and is great for the beginner or seasoned veteran gardener. Try one today!
*All products mentioned in this article are available at The Deesβ Nursery & Florist in Oceanside, NY.