Gerberas
This took several shots to actually get a clear picture of 
the bee or wasp resting on my red gerbera. I had brought the vase out to the garden to get some natural light and I suppose this bee is a sign that this is an attractive flower. I never used to be a fan of gerbera but they are incredibly cheery and bright and reasonably priced now that they are grown in abundance in Tagaytay and other greenhouses around the country. At PHP130 a dozen for extra long stems at my wholesale source (sorry, can’t divulge just yet), they are far cheaper than the PHP25 they sell for in the malls. Put 2-3 dozen in a clear crystal or glass vase and they cheer up just about any room and or occupant of that room! Their primary colors are in your face, but work well when you use them boldly.
Gerberas don’t last long. Their soft stems seem to collapse relatively quickly. 
Make sure you buy fresh stems, make a clean diagonal slice at the base of the stem and plunge into cool water, preferably with some flower food. While the traditional approach is to stick them in a vase like a bunch of roses, they also look neat when cut short or put INSIDE tall long glass vases. They should last 3-5 days unless the room is incredibly hot. Have a good weekend!
wow. . . your source gives to you gerbera that cheap! I love to give flowers for persons special to me, and putting gerbera into a bunch of flowers gives a burst of color, I get tired giving the same bunch of roses over and over again, that’s why I spend lots of time in “Dangwa” picking different kinds of flowers just for a bouquet. . . the colors of the gerbera gives you that bright happy feeling and this touch of happiness is a plus for a special gift. . .
August 28th, 2005oooh, i miss those, african daisies! We used to grow them in our farm in Davao City and sell them to flower shops for Php10 per stem. Unfortunately, they were wiped out by some molds or something…
August 29th, 2005I love gerberas. I love them so much I carried a bouquet of gerberas on my wedding day. :) Thanks for reminding me about those flowers. They are pretty expensive though, but will try to look for a good source in Makati.
August 29th, 2005You are right. The brightness of the flowers certainly lend their ambience to any room where they are displayed!
August 29th, 2005Gerberas should last at least a week. To strengthen stems wire them with a length of florist wire wrapped gently around their stem starting with piercing the underside of the bloom.
September 1st, 2005