A Quick Plant Tutorial:

Before I explain why the daisy is my favorite flower, I want to clarify a couple of gardening terms that often confuse people. There are two main types of flowers: perennials and annuals. Both have their place in the garden for different reasons. Unless you live in a temperate climate, annuals are flowers that need to be replanted every year. This group includes popular varieties like marigolds, impatiens, zinnias, and geraniums. They are planted in the spring after the last frost and bloom profusely until the first frost in the fall, when they die. On the other hand, perennials come back every year, which is why they are called perennials. They are my favorite type of flowers because once you plant them in the correct spot, they will grow and multiply. Some common perennials include cone flowers, bee balm, peonies, black-eyed Susans, and daisies. However, perennials do not flower all summer like annuals. Once they are done blooming, they are finished until the following year. That is why it is important to plant a variety of perennials that bloom at different times, so you have flowers blooming all summer.

For the amateur gardener, the search for easy-to-grow flowers is always a challenge. I have tried so many varieties and seen many of them wither and die. At first, I would only plant annuals because they were easy to grow and they flowered all summer. However, I eventually grew tired of replanting them every spring. I wanted to have flowers that would come back every year and flourish. After a lot of experimentation with different perennials, the daisy has become my go-to flower!

The Daisy:

Bellis perennis (/ˈbɛləs pəˈrɛnəs/), the daisy, is a European species of the Asteraceae family, often considered the archetypal species of the name daisy. It can generally be grown in full sun to partial shade conditions, and requires little or no maintenance. It has no known serious insect or disease problems and can usually be grown in most well-drained soils.

I have them all over my garden. I love the way every year they pop up from the beginning of May, and by the middle of June, the buds are about to burst open and expose these beautiful, perfect white blossoms with an explosive yellow center. The multiple layers of the white petals are mostly symmetrical, yet each one is unique. Once they bloom, they will keep on blooming from the middle of June until the end of August, which is a very long time for a perennial. They are also my favorite cut flower because they last at least a week once they are put in a vase.

The Plant That Keeps on Giving

Daisies are the easiest plants to separate. All you need to do is use your handy dandy shovel and pick a spot in your daisy patch, then push your shovel into the ground to separate the daisy plants. Then, take the separated piece and plant it in a different place in your garden. You just got a new plant for free!

There aren’t many things in the world that gets me more enjoyment than walking in my yard and observing the flowers in my garden. No plant gives me more joy than the daisy. They are so easy to grow. Go ahead and throw one into the ground and start your own love affair with the daisy!