daisy – The Gardening Blog

A few months ago I saw a little four pack of seedlings marked simply “Daisy” at a local nursery. They were really small, as seedlings go, but I liked them and brought them home. Not really knowing what they are (try googling ‘daisy’, you’ll get hundreds of results, none of which helped identify the seedlings I’d bought), I planted the four “daisies” in different spots, shade, semi shade and full sun. The ones in the sunniest position took off straight away and started to flower in winter, the others all appeared to be dormant, but were hanging in there.

A few weeks later I found a six pack of the same plant, this time labelled as “Argyranthemum” and so I had the name. Googling “Argyranthemum” reveals that there are hundreds of different ones and I still don’t really know what mine are – but who cares … they are pretty, fill in some gaps and seem to flowers for months on end as mine have been doing, with no sign of letting up. I have pink ones and white ones and I love them. I found a slightly larger one, labelled “Argyranthemum frutescens” and that one is doing well mixed in with the Heliotropium. The white and yellow flowers are perfect with the purple of the Heliotropium and the Dietes Grandiflora that are also flowering now.

[one_half]I have them in white …[/one_half]

[one_half_last]And I have them in pink![/one_half_last]

[one_half]Pretty with the Heliotropium[/one_half]

[one_half_last]In deep shade, filling a dark hole[/one_half_last]

[one_half]These are “Argyranthemum frutescens”[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Thriving with Salvia greggii in full sun[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Happy with Carex and Salvia[/one_half]

[one_half_last]A rare view of my Alley-way[/one_half_last]

In other news … after being away from my garden for almost four weeks there is quite a lot to do. Lots of pruning, cutting back and weeding required, but I’m thrilled that my garden has seemed to reach the “third year they leap” stage. Lots of the plants were planted three seasons ago and are now really coming into their own. Its a joy to behold. And I have very very few “holes” left to fill.

Here are a few things that make me happy …

[one_half]Dietes grandiflora and Heliotropium[/one_half]

[one_half_last]New leaves on the Liquidamber[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Petunias have started to flourish[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Yesterday, today and tomorrow[/one_half_last]

[one_half]The bugs have moved back in[/one_half]

[one_half_last]+/- 40 Agapanthus about to flower here[/one_half_last]

[one_half]My gorgeous boy, always helping me[/one_half]

[one_half_last]My roses are flowering[/one_half_last]

[one_half]My Birches are full of leaf and gorgeous[/one_half]

[one_half_last]I wish I knew what tree this is …[/one_half_last]

Happy Gardening
xxx

And the award for Miss Photogenic goes to …

Just a short while ago I was bemoaning the fact that everything in my garden seems so “white”, with white blooms everywhere and not much colour left, after the crazy flower-flush of spring bulbs had passed. Reviewing all the suggestions I was given of making my garden “pop” with colour once again, I decided I liked the idea of black petunias in and amongst all the white to create a “sophisticated” garden.

As it usually happens when I am out looking for something specific, I won’t find it, but get sucked into all sorts of other options. And so it was that I finally planted two small fuchsias in the Camellia bed which I think will work quite well along the shaded wall area. In the front of the Camellia bed which gets a bit more light and a sniff of sun, I repeated last years exercise of planting a few Petunias. I’m not a great lover of Petunias, but have to concede that they create an almost instant colour spectacle which I feel my summer garden needs.

I’ve never had fuchsias before and only noticed just how lovely they are when I pointed my camera at them, and now I can’t stop photographing them. How gorgeous are these little flowers? And what an absolute delight they are to photograph. I can’t decide which of my new “colour pops” is the most photogenic, but I think…

The award goes to …

And the Runners up are …

[one_half]Little white and pink Fuchsia[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The blue Petunias[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Bright pink Gerbera daisy[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Bright pink Petunias[/one_half_last]

See … instant colour!

Those Gerbera daisies are SO SO cute I feel a post dedicated to them coming up! I was lured by their cuteness at the nursery today. All these little pots with Gerberas winking at me and I only bought 2! Think I better go back and get more … if I can decide where to put them 🙂

Whats your favourite flower to photograph?

Happy Gardening
xxx