Last Spring I sowed their little seeds directly in the garden. When they began to germinate I was so excited. The pep talks, watering and fertilizing began...more pep talks, more watering. (I know I am not the only gardener that transforms into a garden sideline cheerleader) After a couple of months some of the plants started dying others looking like they were about to. The frustration was setting in big time, I really wanted the beautifully striped blooms in my garden. What's a smart gardener to do? Use the tough love method. Ignore them. They will either make it or not on their own, after all, I had done all I knew to (over) do. The watering stopped, the fertilization stopped and the pep talks were more like, Oh, I see you are still hanging around.
The first three photos are how the two Gazania plants look now 4 months after my tough love method started. I say it's been a successful method with them. Why the frustration Darla? We all love low maintenance plants. Lesson learned: Get to know your plant's personality and the care they need. The tough love method was hardest on me...I wanted to hover and that's not what they needed.
Asteraceae Family
Zones 8-10
Full Sun
Size 8"-10" x 10" - 12" (First three photos taken Nov. 28. 2010)
Bloom Time - Early Summer through FallNeutral to Alkaline Soil-Well drained
Growth Rate - FastDrought tolerant once established
I love the silvery-green foliage.
Below is one of only 4 blooms from July. We are expecting some severe weather this evening through the night and then temps in the upper 20's and low 30's in the over night periods through the weekend. Curious to see how they respond to those temperatures. Wonder if the buds will burn or bloom?Do you grow Gazania? If so, share your experience please.
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Today I am Thankful for the lessons I learn from gardening. I find I apply them to other areas of my life. (hovering is not always a good thing)
28 comments:
No---don't grow Gazania, but I enjoyed reading your thoughts about it...
It's raining cats and dogs here today... We even had a flood warning for awhile this morning.... AND--it's supposed to get really cold tonight/tomorrow.
Hugs,
Betsy
If I could sing it would be about how beautiful your Gazania colors or. lol
The difficult one’s are always worth the wait, I love the flower.
Treated as an annual here Darla. Pretty bloom but I don't like the way it looks when it needs deadheading.
Very pretty bloom! ...and people think gardening is boring!
Nope never tried growing it before. The bloom is pretty though. It's getting cold here too. :(
Don't grow it here as I don't have enough sun. It is a very pretty flower though and I sure wish I could grow it successfully.
Beautiful bloom and a good lesson... This sounds like my experience with the gerberas. Hope your weather is not as bad as forecast. That's stinkin' cold for this time of year! We don't have bad storms in the forecast down here, but I am hoping for some rain.
How pretty, I'm glad you figured out what approach works best for them. I've never grown them here.
Gazania, I've never tried to grow them.. it's much too hot and I don't get enough sun in the yard.. but, your little one is just beautiful!
Thanks for your visit and comment on my 'Charley Brown' tree.. I love the look..haha
Happy Holidays
Sandy
What a pretty bloom. I've tried growing gerberas before and didn't have good luck with them Glad to see you did.
FlowerLady
Great looking flower on your gazania. These don't like my garden in the summer and just wither up and disappear. They are sort of a "reverse annual" for me and I've pretty much quit trying to grow them. Hope the cold weather you get sits well with them now you've got the blooms.
Lovely blooms Darla! I will be sure to let my daughter know how much you are enjoying the palm tree. I like it too and I also love the penguins. I think she got most of those decorations at Esposito's during some of their after Christmas sales.
Hi Darla. It took forever for mine to start blooming it seemed. They were just blooming well this fall. They seemed not to like too much watering which I realized last year when none survived.You have to treat them like verbena which doesn't like too much watering. I put one in the basement to experiment with over the winter. Your looks a lot healthier than mine did though. Your is much bushier so it liked your tough love. LOL!
YAY! Always love a success story!
Mom used to have gazania as ground cover between the lawn and culvert (we lived in the country) They hardly got watered and grew like crazy. Hoping yous continue to do well. Your bloom is so pretty!
*hugs*deb
Darla ~ I didn't see an email addy so here I am answering your question to me on my blog.
To buy the Florida Cracker rose a.k.a. Louis Philippe in FL near you, or at least I think it's near you is a place in Eustis,
http://www.rosesandherbs.com/
Then there is Countryside Roses, and she is out of this rose right now. I think she is in LA, not sure though.
I bought from her many years ago.
http://www.countrysideroses.com/
Check local nurseries in your area too, to see if they sell old garden roses.
Hope this helps ~ FlowerLady
I'm envious of your bloomers but glad to have a break from garden work. The Gazania are only annuals here so I don't know anything. Jean
Darla: I grew them from seedlings and they make such a wonderdful show until the frost arrives.
We don't grow Gazania, but I am pretty good at ignoring plants that need care. Your Ganzania is very pretty.
Gazanias are annuals here, too. I used to grow them in pots more than in the ground, but the last few years, have been putting them in the ground. For some reason, the rabbits ate all of mine to the ground this year. A few grew back, and had a couple blooms before the freezing temps. I'm thinking they usually survive frosts. Next year, I'll go back to pots for them.
I have never seen one like yours - how gorgeous is that!
Beautiful! They are definitely a treasure.
To err is human,to forgive,divine.
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