Osteospermum cultivar

Daisies symbolise cheerfulness, freshness and the arrival of spring. Most daisies are tough plants which can survive well without too much water, as many hail from places of low rainfall, such as South Africa, Mexico and the Canary Islands, and thrive in relatively poor, well-drained soil in a sunny position. Many flower from late winter into spring, and there are perennial groundcover types as well as small shrubs and a couple of annuals. Generally only marginally frost hardy, they are best suited to frost-free gardens. They are bothered by no insect pests or diseases.

They are versatile plants, lending themselves to different styles of gardens, including cottage effects; arid-style gardens with succulents, Phormium and Coprosma; or in some cases mingled with Australian native flowers. They are all excellent choices for seaside gardens as they grow well in sandy soil. In the smallest of gardens, they can be grown in pots. Regular dead-heading of spent blooms prolongs their flowering period. Perhaps because of the sheer abundance of the flowers they produce, the shrubby sorts seem to exhaust themselves after a couple of years and should probably then be replaced by cuttings, which are very easily propagated.

Gazania growing on Bondi Beach cliff-top walk

Gazania growing on Bondi Beach cliff-top walk

South Africa has given gardeners some very drought-resistant plants and its daisies are no exception. Perennial groundcovers Arctotis (ht 45 cm) and Gazania (ht 20-30 cm) are smothered in big jazzy flowers for a long period. They come in colours of pinks, cerise and white as well as a range of hotter tints such as burnt orange, glowing red, bronze, mahogany, apricot and tawny gold that are some of the most vibrant in the plant world. The flowers are held above a carpet of attractive foliage: jagged silvery leaves in the case of Arctotis and slender green or silver ones with the Gazania They can tumble down dry banks or over retaining walls, and a mixture of different colours grown together can form a low-maintenance 'Persian rug' effect between shrubs in any dry, sunny spot.

Osteospermum cultivars in the garden of Alice Collins, Sydney

Osteospermum cultivars in the garden of Alice Collins, Sydney

On a more shrubby scale, South African sailor boy daisies (Osteospermum cultivars) grow to a height of between 30 cm and 1 m. Modern types are more compact than the original rather sprawling ones, and yellow and orange versions have been added to the traditional pink, white and purple flower range, along with exotic double floral forms, though the old-fashioned ones are probably the toughest performers. I find most of the modern showy cultivars to be quite short-lived. Most have dark blue centre to their flowers, which in the case of the sparkling whiter-than-white form gave rise to the common name of 'sailor boy' as they do have a distinctively naval look. They are very hardy plants and will actually not perform well if the soil is rich and well watered! They do have a tendency to self-seed so should be grown with caution near bushland areas and cut back hard after flowering.

Argyranthemum frutescens cultivar

Argyranthemum frutescens cultivar

The shrubby marguerite daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens, previously known as Chrysanthemum frutescens), hailing from the Canary Islands, is the archetypal daisy flower in various colours - pinks, white, cream, yellow and burgundy - at the same time as the South African ones, and likes the same sort of garden conditions. There are many cultivars available these days, some of them very compact, though the old-fashioned single and double white and pink ones which grow about 1 m tall are probably the most resilient. The newer cultivars only seem to last one season. Marguerite daisies are a quintessential cottage plant and make a wonderful contribution in the garden for months on end. They are sometimes shaped into a standard form, or used to create an informal low hedge.

Erigeron karvinskianus

Erigeron karvinskianus

The little seaside daisy (Erigeron karvinskianus, ht 40cm) is a perennial Mexican plant with a delightful haze of tiny pink and white blooms in late winter and early spring, though it seems to have some flowers almost all year round. It can provide a groundcover in areas where literally nothing else will grow. It does self-seed and has a habit of lodging itself in all sorts of nooks and crannies in the garden, between steps and in brick or stone walls. The effect is charming for those who don't mind a slightly wild look in their garden: those who prefer to keep the upper hand should probably avoid this daisy like the plague. It should be cut back very hard in autumn to keep it compact. A pretty cultivar known as 'LA Pink' has larger, mauve-pink flowers and doesn't self seed.

Leucanthemum vulgare

Leucanthemum vulgare

Another small perennial daisy is Leucanthemum vulgare (ht 30 cm), sometimes called the ox-eye daisy. Its bright white flowers are like minature Shasta daisies and it is possible that the ox-eye daisy was used in the breeding of those larger plants. Leucanthemum paludosum is an annual plant very similar to the ox-eye daisy, and is also flowering now.

Calendula officinalis

Calendula officinalis

Sometimes called the pot marigold, Calendula officinalis is another annual in bloom now, with large single or double daisy-like flowers in a variety of cheerful hues, ranging from bright orange and yellow to apricot, gold, bronze, lemon and cream, as well as bicolours. There are various cultivars available, including dwarf forms as well as taller ones, such as 'Pacific Beauty' (ht 80 cm).

For late winter-early spring flower power, think daisies!

This blog was first posted on 6 September 2009. Updated 12 September 2021.