Xela's Garden

English Daisy .... 'Pomponette'

Genus: Bellis.

Species: Bellis perennis.

Planted 12.08 Vistabile bird feeder/planter
Grown from seed 08

English daisies are popular as bedding and border plants, for window and balcony boxes and for earthenware urns. Some varieties may be used for forcing for home decoration in vases.
Bellis perennis, though strictly a perennial, is treated as a biennial and is good for autumn and above all spring decoration. As well as planted in flower beds, it may be placed in all kinds of containers, best of all in shallow ones, together with myosotis or tulips.
The original species of this plant is a small perennial native to Europe, found commonly growing in grass. From this plant have sprung various garden forms which are more robust and bear larger blooms. Present-day cultivars have flower-heads up to 4cm (1.5 inches) across and leaves up to 10cm (3 in.) long and 2.5 cm (1 in.) wide; the ray petals are either broad or quilled.
The many varieties have been divided into several groups, or strains, according to the size and type of flower; for example 'Pomponette' with miniature, double blooms; 'Double Monstrosa' with large, semi-double blooms; 'Monstrosa Super Giants' with flowers up to 3 in. across.

Height:15cm (6 inches)

Grow as: biennial

Exposure: requires full sun.
Damp situations should be avoided and care should . be taken not to over-water the plants.

Flowers: April to July
Colour: may be white, pink, red
or a combination of two colours.

Sowing: the seeds should be sown from June to July at a temperature of 20°C (68°F).

Germination takes place within seven to ten days, and the seedlings should be pricked out when large enough (pricked-out seedlings have a better root system). Hardened-off seedlings may be moved at the end of August or in September to their outdoor places, where they should be spaced some 30cm (12 in.) apart. Alternatively they can be 15 – 20cm (6 to 8 in.) apart in beds where they over-winter, and then transferred to their flowering positions the following spring. After the main spring flowering the plants should be replaced by other species. The plants may be put into prepared containers in August or September and left to over-winter outdoors or else put out in early spring when they have begun to flower.

Photos of this plant

Reminders for this plant