Flower cm : Bocquetia floribunda cm Irrigation /

The "Bakart" English Daisy is a charming little gem prized for its perfectly rounded, double pompon blooms in cheerful shades of red, pink and pure white. Each tidy flower sits on a slender stem above a low, button-neat rosette no more than about 15 cm tall, making this old-fashioned cottage favourite ideal for edging, window boxes, border fronts and mixed pots. It brings crisp, button-like colour to the cool months when little else flowers.

Planting

Grow in full sun to partial shade in fine, fertile, consistently moist soil. Surface-sow into cell packs, flats or a prepared bed, pressing the seed in and barely covering it (no more than about 3 mm), as light aids germination. At around 21 C seedlings emerge in roughly 15-25 days. You can start indoors about 8-10 weeks ahead, then transplant once established, spacing plants about 15 cm apart so each rosette has room.

Fertilizing

This daisy enjoys heavy fertility. Work plenty of compost or organic matter into the soil before planting, then feed early in the growing season to fuel a generous show of flowers.

Care

Keep the soil consistently moist but well-drained; the plant dislikes drought and appreciates ample water in warm spells. Deadhead spent blooms to prolong flowering and limit self-seeding. It is generally trouble-free, with only occasional rust, nematodes or pepper moth. Flowering runs mainly from mid-spring into early summer, shifting to winter-and-spring in mild climates.