English Daisy (Bellis perennis)

The English Daisy (Bellis perennis), known in Egyptian seed shops as "bakart", is a delightful cool-season ornamental prized for its double-pompon button flowers. The cheerful blooms appear in red, pink and white on a tidy, compact rosette of only about 15 cm, making it a favourite for edging, containers and front-of-border colour. Also called lawn daisy, common daisy or double daisy, this classic of the Asteraceae family brings a soft, old-fashioned charm wherever it is planted.

Planting

Surface-sow the seed and barely cover it (no more than about 3 mm), since light aids germination. Sow into cell packs, flats or directly onto fine, moist soil in full sun to partial shade. Seed germinates at around 21 C, typically within 15-25 days. You can start indoors roughly 8-10 weeks before planting out, then transplant established seedlings, spacing plants about 15 cm apart so each rosette has room to develop.

Fertilizing

English daisy likes heavy fertility, so grow it in organically rich, fertile soil. Work plenty of compost or organic matter into the bed at planting, then feed early in the growing season to support strong, abundant flowering.

Care

Keep the soil consistently moist but well-drained; this daisy dislikes drought and needs ample water, especially in warmer weather. It thrives in cool conditions and declines in summer heat, so afternoon shade helps in warm climates. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom and limit self-seeding. It is generally trouble-free, with only occasional rust, root-knot nematodes or pepper moth to watch for.