D is for Daisy

“Daisies infinite Uplift in praise their little growing hands, O'er every hill that under heaven expands.”By Ebenezer Elliott, English Poet

Daisy is simply a nickname for the Shasta daisy, a member of the diverse family of chrysanthemums. But why make it complicated? For my purposes in this AtoZchallenge, D is for daisy.  

I remember daisies growing in the garden of my childhood home. I used to add their petals to mudpies for a reason that now escapes my grown-up mind. The daisies in these photos grow next to the pumphouse on our Templeton property. I know I grew them from dividing a daisy somewhere else, so I must have brought the cutting from our previous home. Later, I divided an oregano plant and put it next to the Shasta daisy. The oregano is in bloom, but the daisy is just starting to bud. The photo was taken in July.

Daisy Buds in Midst of Blooming Oregano, © B. Radisavljevic, #AtoZchallenge

In the photo below, the daisy is just opening. This photo was also taken in early July, the day after the photo above.

Daisy Opening, © B. Radisavljevic, #AtoZchallenge

The next photo taken about ten days later shows the mature daisy, It has already attracted a visit from a crab spider who may take up residence there. 

Crab Spider on Shasta Daisy, © B. Radisavljevic, #AtoZchallenge

These daisies may not be prize specimens, but considering that they've had little care and have never been fed, they do pretty well. I had to laugh when I read that Shasta daisies thrive in fairly rich, moist, well-drained soil in a sunny spot. I guess mine aren't thriving, since the soil is far from rich. They do have a sunny spot and, although they may not be thriving, they are certainly surviving. 

Are you growing any daisies? If not, they are easy to grow. Try it. You can find many seed varieties at Amazon if you can't find what you want locally, or you can see if a friend growing daisies will share a root division.

Root divisions will be blooming before you know it if planted in spring. It's better, though, to plant them in fall so they can get established before it's time for the flowers to bloom.

Root divisions are easy to get. All you need to do is find a mature plant, get a shovel, dig deep under enough of the plant to get some roots, and pull out what's in your shovel. Keep the roots in water and the plant shaded until you get to where you will plant your root division. Do it before the day ends if you can. Have your planting place in full sun ready ahead of time.

It's best to plant at dusk or dawn rather than when the sun is bright and hot. Once planted, water well. Keep soil moist for a couple of weeks and then water as necessary. The gardening books on plant propagation will tell you to do a lot more than this, but this has worked for me. I've read the plant propagation books, and own many, but I don't always follow their expert advice to the letter. I've learned a lot just from other gardeners, and I also like to experiment to see what works for me. 

Do you love daisies but aren't  a gardener? There are some very realistic artificial daisies available now on Amazon with very reasonable prices. See some below. And if you would like daisies to light up your nights, check out the hand-sculpted daisy night light, complete with visiting ladybug, below.  I'm one of those people who needs a faint night light at night in my hallway and in my room. 

 Ladybug Daisies Sculpted Hand-Painted Night Light 6 pieces of 3 inch english daisy, soft yellow bristle in center with plastic stem, short plastic cap at back, color white. Decorative Potted Artificial White Silk Gerbera Daisy Flowers / Faux Floral Decor w/ Round Pot - MyGift® Topix 100x Gerbera Daisy Flowers Heads for DIY Wedding Party (White)

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