I do love mine. They don't flop, they expand but aren't invasive, super hardy-I have never lost a becky over the winter, ever. They do bloom for a long time. I wouldn't be without them. I have a had a few other shastas(sorry don't know the names) and they were more floppy, and oh yeah they must have died cause I don't have them anymore!

jody

Mine are pretty hardy too. Long bloom, no flopping.
Tammy

I love mine too...now.. :) I planted them numerous times by seed and never ever had luck. But I bought them in one gallon pots and they are beautiful. Come back after winter..and never need anything but occasional deadheading. I agree with Jody, the do not flop at all. Even in the wind..

Hard-working horses in my garden!

Mine bloom once for I think about 3 weeks. They don't rebloom for me, but that may be because I pinch them in June to get them to bloom a little later so they will flower at the same time as my Blackeyed Susans. This year I thought I might try pinching in early June and then pinching half again about 2 weeks later to see if that might extend the bloom time to last as long as the Susans. Mine tended to get a little floppy when I didn't pinch them, but they are planted in partial shade.

Totally Confused

Mine were new last year and did not flop. They are back this year in larger clumps looking really healthy and happy. I remember that on the day I expected first frost this past fall, I cut a bouquet of flowers to enjoy indoors and there was at least one "Becky" in the bunch. So, they did rebloom in my garden.

Lisa

Definitely don't flop. Here, they have a main bloom season and then sparse rebloom if you keep them deadheaded. I do find, however, that the clump spreads out quite a lot. It seems to 'creep' in one direction (towards the south usually) so the clump gradually moves across the bed sort of making a river of daisies. A bit odd but attractive. Over the years I've eliminated all daises except 'Becky' from the garden because 'Becky' is so superior in my conditions.

Becky has done well here too.

I have Becky and Alaska and the Becky are amazing! Here in the humid south I bearly if ever water them and even in bloom the petals stand up nice and never wilt. They multiply very quickly so you can transplant them around the garden. They have a long bloom season too. The Alaska forget it! Terrible for me down here, constantly have to water and just don't stand up as nice as the other plus I like the leaves of Becky better then Alaska too. I don't know how it does it colder winters but I would think it would do just fine.
~Meghan

To add another vote, Becky have done well for me too!

Becky has done very well for me. Long blooming.

{{gwi:682936}}

kay

Kay, what's the blue flower in back of the daisies?

I do love the looks of the shasta daisies. It remindes me of when I was a very young child and there was a wild meadow way in back of the house were we lived. It was full of flowers but the ones I remember are the goldenrods, queen annes lace and especially the white daisies. I always picked the daisies :-))

Then they buldozed it all for a four lane highway, Sigh :-((

Rita,
That is the black and blue salvia. Here it acts like it is on steroids, and has been returning for at least five years, as have the daisies.
kay

Wow, mine never get that big and I have to replant them each year. The salvia that does get big for me is INDIGO SPIRES, although that never returns either. Can't even buy it around here. I have to mail order the INDIGO SPIRES each spring from High Country Gardens. Mine are planted already from my first HCG order of this year. Have another coming next week.

Wait, maybe I don't have Becky's. Looking at the picture I realize I must have something else. Mine get quite tall (probably 2 1/2-3ft when not pinched) but they have double flowers. I wonder if they were mislabeled or I just remembered wrong. The tag is long gone. Any ideas which ones they might be?

Totally Confused

I just got some alaskan daisies which are supposed to be 2 1/2 feet tall. I was wondering what you meant by pinching back the daisies. I would like to keep them from growing too tall.

When I pinch mine back I take my fingers or a clipper and cut each stem back to a where a leaf comes out of the stem two or three leaves lower than the top of the plant. I hope that makes sense. It's hard for me to explain it in words.

Totally Confused

Beckys are my favorite shasta daisy - they are the workhorse in my gardens and as others have said - sturdy stems and never flop. I have started more of them from seed this year and now have 8 four cell packs to set out. I have pulled all my Alaskas after I saw how well Becky performed over the past 2years ......

Lynne

I never did get around to buying these last year. Now that its spring again, I am thinking of finishing that one garden spot and adding the plants I never got around to getting. These are still very much on my list.

I have Becky seedlings from seeds I received in a trade last year. Does Becky come true from seed? I love daisies!

Thanks,
Barbara in Virginia

They had them at out local nursery today so I bought a pot. Hurray. I want to see how well they do and decided one pot is enough. If they do well, I would think they should spread some, maybe not.

Mine never came back.I just gave up on them. I live in Ks

I was at a local garden club plant sale this morning and there were small pots of Becky Shastas. I bought one just because of what I read here, hope I can get them planted in between showers.

I'm thinking of cutting my "Becky" shastas back today. They got beat down by the rain a few weeks and I've bought some 32 in. fencing from K-mart to encase them in, as they have got so heavy and floppy. I had same at my former house and we got rid of them. This is exactly what I'm planning to do this Fall with these. Will WS "Alaska" variety in its place if not something else completely. Don't seem to be holding up to the high 90's temps we had earlier this week despite watering them every other day or every day.

i just bout a couple of becky's. is there a particular shasta that is better in a zone 6 area? wondering if anyone had any suggestions. i have a friend that has tons. but i don;t know if she gets the same full sun as us.

Agree with schoolhouse, a few days of 90s temps and then just has been in the 70s in full sun and they are looking ragged and terrible. They were planted only a week ago but I really hope they start perking up.

You will like the Becky shastas. They do spread pretty fast. They bloom a long time, but as far as months, not for me. Maybe 4 weeks, possibly a little longer, & no rebloom. I also have Silver Princess daisies that are a bit shorter, never flop. Ice Star shastas are nice too, double blooms.