Growing tips:

Growing tip 1:

Use pots as a living flower arrangement indoors or plant it out into a bigger pot for the patio or into the garden as a compact, colourful border plant.

Osteospermum (Cape Daisies) are always a favourite with growers and new colours come out each year. This year, Osteospermum Serenity ‘Spring Day’ that is quite different because the pale salmon-cream blooms have a deep yellow reverse which shows up in a breeze, adding unexpected colour to a bed.

The plants are compact, showing off best when massed, or used as a border or even in containers. The flowers are strong and weather tolerant and make a flush in spring and again in autumn.

Growing tip 2:

plant in full sun to partial shade. Plants are drought tolerant, requiring regular deep but infrequent watering.

Marigolds made an early appearance and the new colours are moving away from yellow to a darker orange-red. Fireball and Strawberry Blonde are French marigold types that are unusual because each plant carries differently coloured blooms. In early Spring, flowers age and change colour more slowly for maximum contrast. As it gets warmer, colour changes faster with less distinct contrast.

Growing tip 3:

Marigolds need lots of sun and thrive in moderately fertile, well drained soil. Verbena made a comeback this year in a host of colours and two standout beauties were Verbena Aztec Magic Orchid, with a tiny white eye, and Verbena Quartz Violet eye. Magic Orchid is a trailing verbena for spilling out of hanging baskets or providing a carpet of colour in gardens, with its 45cm spread. It has fine, feathery foliage that is resistant to powdery mildew and thrives in sun and heat. Quartz violet eye is an excellent garden performer with full, dark green leaves and more mounded growth, best for beds and borders.