Brighten up your garden with the Cape daisy

The African daisy has great appeal and, although it is not a traditional cottage-garden flower, it has many of the qualities of that group of flowers, being colourful, easy to grow and easy to propagate. Its daisy flowers are the typical daisy shape: a rim of petals and a central button of true flowers. Each daisy-type ‘flower’ is actually a multiple flower; the petals of the outer rim are specially adapted to grow large and attract pollination insects from a distance.

Meanwhile the fertile flowers, quite tiny, are stacked together like honeycomb cells to make up the central button. Unlike many daisy-family plants, which generally have yellow buttons, the African daisy buttons are blue until they open with yellow pollen. The dark blue central boss is attractive and sets off the colour of the flowers to perfection.

The African daisy is usually seen in white, lavender or pale purple-pink form, with a flush of purple on the back of the petals. It forms a low spreading clump with the daisy flowers held face up and open to the sun. The clump grows wider each year and can be a couple of metres across eventually. Its green stems take root as they go along and this helps to keep the plant from getting too open and straggly. It is weed-resistant, and when well established keeps weeds down very well, just growing on top of small weeds.

There is a first flush of flowers in early summer when the whole plant is covered with daisies. There is then a succession of flowering with fewer flowers as the buds form and open, and it is not unusual to see a light scattering of flowers on the plant in late autumn or early winter. The popular variety Osteospermum jucundum has purple-pink flowers, and these can vary in the intensity of colour, some being much darker. This species is the one most widely seen and it can be raised from seeds. It grows so easily from seeds that it commonly produces its own seedlings near the parent plant and these can vary a bit in colour, being light or darker.

Also popular is Osteospermum ecklonis with glistening white flowers and a low-growing, trailing habit. A lot of breeding and selection has been done, including introducing the yellow and orange colours of annual species. Some of these varieties are series of colours, such as the Sunny series with a lot of yellow, pink and orange shades or the Passion series with lots of pink, purple and whites. ‘Whirligig’ and ‘Pink Whirls’ have quilled flowers. ‘Stardust’ is upright with strong purple-pink flowers. ‘Sea Spray’ is a pretty white. The yellow and orange forms are likely to be more short-lived because they have annual genetics. ‘Tresco Purple’ is a deep smoky purple colour.

Originating in the sunny, warm climate of South Africa, this plant likes a spot in the sunshine. The soil should be fertile and well-drained, though not too dry. On very dry soil the plant tends to become stemmy and not flower so well, but it can tolerate spells of dry weather. It is ideal for low banks, the front of mixed borders, path edges and the base of a wall. Plants grown on a bank are less likely to be damaged by frost, too. If it gets too broad, it can be cut back after the first flush of flowers and new growth produces late flowers. Inland, take some cuttings in July as an insurance against severe frost.

True spinach is notorious for running to seed and a good alternative is spinach beet or perpetual spinach. This is not actually perpetual because it flowers in the second year, like beet, to which it is related. It is very like the original wild beet from which sugar beet was derived, and which still grows by the coast, often called sea beet, seeding every year but truly perennial. Spinach beet is not as finely flavoured as true spinach but a nice fresh picking is an excellent substitute. It also has the advantage that it grows easily from seeds sown between April and the end of July. Or make two sowings: choose a nice sunny spot, not too exposed, and the plant will have leaves right through winter.

Fruit, vegetables and herbs

There has been good growth of sweet corn, cabbage and peas after more regular rain arrived. Make late sowings of lettuce, rocket and radishes. Watch for cabbage white butterflies and their eggs, and remove them when seen. Potato blight warnings are usually given now but only susceptible maincrop varieties need be sprayed.

Flowers

Cut down the flower spikes of lupins and delphiniums and they might give some later flowers. Pots and containers will need frequent watering, even every day, if the weather is hot and dry. Warm, sunny weather improves the growth of flowers in pots but they must have enough water and feed in every third or fourtth watering.

Lawns

After a cold spring and a slow start, lawns responded well to warm sunny days and showery weather. If a lawn is pale or yellowish, it could do with feeding which is a bit tricky because it can cause scorching if the weather turns dry; ensure there is rain on the way. Trim the flowered shoots of grass where the lawn meets flower beds and paths.

Trees, shrubs and roses

Young trees were slow to settle in because of cool weather and slow early growth, but are recovering. If they are too dry, water heavily if needed. Clip hedges of all kinds before the wood gets tough. Heavy cutting back should be left until the start of the growing season next year. Roses have had a lot of damage with blackspot disease.

Greenhouse and house plants

Many kinds of shrubs and tender plants are suitable for cuttings. Continue watering and feeding greenhouse plants. Be careful to water tomato plants in pots or grow-bags regularly: drying out can lead to blossom-end rot which can ruin most of the crop. Continue to train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers.