Marguerites
The Federation Daisies we love
are getting better than ever
Everyone loves marguerite daisies.
They have a simple beauty which makes them favourites
with young and old. Pick a bunch of mixed marguerite
flowers and pop them in a simple vase and you’ll
have a table arrangement that is likely to be more
of a talking point with guests than some expensive
cut flowers from the best florist.
That marguerites are so easy to grow
- pop them into virtually any well drained soil in
a sunny spot and they take off - makes them adored
plants too. They’re
uncomplicated plants - no tricks to their culture. They
will grow in all sorts of places, heavy frosts being
the limiting factor. Many a coastal gardener has turned
a sunny, sandy bank into a flower filled joy by covering
it with marguerite daisies. A little light pruning of
flower heads with a bit of stem attached makes the flowering
performance even better and encourages the plants to
be even bushier and stronger growing.
In new gardens, marguerite daisies are great for quick
effect, filling the gaps among establishing shrubs or
making a remarkable hedge. In well established gardens,
marguerites are superb for mingling with perennials,
roses and annuals.
There’s a wide range of colours among the new
marguerite varieties, so if you want to create interesting
colour schemes these plants offer many opportunities.
White marguerites among inky-blue Lavender ‘Sidonie’ and
white cistus is one idea to contemplate, another is yellow
marguerites with yellow roses. Pink marguerites interspersed
with blue lavender beside a driveway is soothing, as
is marguerites among groundcovering, all summer flowering
Bacopa ‘Blizzard’, while a group of white
marguerites surrounding several Echium fastuosum is breathtaking.
In beach gardens, mingling marguerites
with agapanthus and colourful daisy flowered groundcovers
such as arctotis, osteospermums and gazanias is great
fun. Of course, marguerites are fantastic in pots too,
brightening many a deck, courtyard or entranceway.
Use a good potting mix for containers, keep them well
watered, and trim off the spent flowers and you’ll
find the flowering performance is spectacular.
Remember, they;
- provide instant appeal in gardens, borders and patio
containers
- are extremely adaptable going well with
a wide range of garden styles
- provide plenty of choice for easy
care gardens
- fit well in Mediterranean themed gardens
- look superb in patio tubs or containers
- are at home in cottage gardens
- provice options for picking stems & flowers
for indoor posies too.
and
- Federation Daisies make a wonderfully
bold display when used en masse.
- When planting in a pot be sure to use a premium potting
mix, and water retaining or rewetting agents. Apply
a slow-release fertiliser every few months. Never let
a tub plant dry to the point of wilting, to do so is
a sure fire recipe for disappointment!
- They're very effective as a low-growing "hedge" along
side a garden path or border.
- The taller varieties make an effective low screen
or border.
- Surprise Party's good for cascading over walls, and
even for use in a low hanging basket.
Schemes & themes with
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