Why bother?
For striking splashes of colour in the autumn garden when everything else is on the wan, look no further than the reliable daisy. Its spell-binding flowers will add sparkle and interest year after year with little fuss. Borne en masse, the pretty flowers last from August until the beginning of October. They also can be cut for to add to indoor flower arrangements.
Good for what?
Daisies are ideal for a mixed or herbaceous border with well-drained, moderately fertile soil. They are ideal for filling late summer gaps left by early flowering plants, or can be incorporated to an area dedicated to provide autumn interest. Try them with Japanese anemonies and hardy garden chrysanths as well as ornamental grasses. They also associate especially well with late-summer flowering perennials such as achillea and veronicastrum as well as grey-leaved plants.
Easy to grow?
Give them a sunny spot and a moisture-retentive soil, they will last for many years. Stake with bamboo canes or brushwood in early spring. Water regularly during dry spells and deadhead regularly to prolong flowering. After flowering cut the flowered stems to the ground and apply a generous mulch of well-rotted garden compost or horse manure around the base of the plant.
To create a bold splash of colour, they are best planted in groups of three or five spaced 30cm (12in) apart. Planting them in this ways also makes staking more straightforward.
