Daisy flowers are an all-time spring favourite in South Africa and are perfect for easy colour on the patio and around sunny spots in the garden.
In folklore daisies symbolise a new beginning, and spring always brings a promise of renewal.
Many of the daisy flowers we grow are indigenous and water wise. Here are three of our most popular which are available at Eckards:
Marguerite Daisy Bushes
The botanical name for the good old-fashioned Daisy Bush or Marguerite Daisy, is Argyranthemum.
Many people remember the big old yellow ones, but nowadays there are so many new varieties available.
Most have been bred to be smaller and are well suited to a small garden or containers on the patio or balcony.
Daisy bushes grow in full sun or light shade and need a moist, well-drained soil that is rich in compost.
Be sure to ‘dead head’ and remove the old flowers regularly to get new flowers coming through.
At any time of the year one can clip the whole plant back to encourage a rejuvenated flush of new leaves and a fresh show of colour.
Cape Daisies
Osteospermum are certainly one of the best sellers in SA and with good reason.
The indigenous Cape Daisies, Osteospermum, herald the new season with masses of flowers in a range of colours from white, yellows through to shades of pink, to deep purple.
They are perfect if you want to fill a container on the patio, or for a patch of colour along a border. Just plant them close together for an instant show.
They do best in full sun in well-drained soil with not too much feeding. Keep them slightly on the dry side for the best results.
Depending on the heat, they can last a few months giving unrivalled colour.
Also read: The 10-minute gardener
Gazanias
Gazania species are grown for their brilliant colours in the late spring and are often in bloom throughout the summer and well into autumn.
The ultimate water wise and environmental warrior plant, the Gazania, will also attract butterflies and bees to the garden and thrives on a little neglect.
Gazania plant care does not involve much of anything, other than watering.
Gazanias are not hungry plants.
Feed them BioGanic, an organic fetiliser once a summer – that’s all they need.
If one overfeeds them, they get more and more leaves but fewer flowers. If they are in containers, feed them Multifeed Flowergro once a month to maintain flowering because, in a container, nutrients are washed out due to regular watering.
Information provided by Eckard’s Garden Pavilion.
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