Livingstone Daisy

Brightly colored and drought-tolerant, this prolific bloomer is a bi-annual that thrives in warm, sunny and arid conditions. It is a low growing plant with fleshy green leaves producing tightly packed flowers in a mix of red, pink and white shades. Its growth habit is 20 cm high with a spread of 30 cm. The flowers close at night and on cloudy days. It is good for carpeting, edging, rockeries and borders and looks great in pots.

Daisies are almost foolproof to grow. They can be planted in the spring and autumn. Most gardeners sow their daisy seeds directly in the garden choosing a sunny location with rich, well-drained soil. Compost can be mixed with your garden soil to provide some extra nutrition.

Use a hoe or rake to scratch the top of soil. Then, toss the seeds on top. Daisy seeds should only lightly be covered with about 1/8 inch of soil. It is important to maintain a good level of moisture until the seeds have germinated (in approximately 14 days). If you desire, a general fertilizer can be applied during the early growth stages and monthly thereafter. Before the daisies bloom, you can switch to a high phosphorus fertilizer. This will give you bigger, brighter flowers.

Find your Climate Zone

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/grassrootsgroundswell/