Dazzling with daisies
August rewards with extraordinary blooms in gorgeous hues for every mood. There’s one more month of cool-season stunners to enjoy, with daisy bushes leading the pack.
Make sure to tick off your maintenance checklist and begin prepping the lawn for September. Edibles are exciting in August too and there’s much to sow and munch on.
Strikingly crazy for daisies
Bold and brave daisies pop off brilliantly against the last of the winter landscape. They flourish in containers, beds and borders that receive full sun. Bushes can be sown and/or planted in autumn for a vibrant August gust of colour. Here are some striking inspirations:
Cape daisy (Osteospermum): Indigenous and water-wise in deep shades of many magical colours to choose from, flowering from spring to autumn.
Marguerite daisy (Argyranthemum): Blooms attract butterflies, available in pretty coloured hues for every mood that flower from spring to autumn. Single and double flowers available.
English daisy (Bellis perennis): A fast grower and spreader with uniquely rounded red, white, and pink flowers, blooming in masses from winter to spring.
Golden daisy bush (Euryops chrysanthemoides): Compact and evergreen with bright golden-yellow blooms peaking from autumn to spring.
Livingstone daisy (Mesembryanthemum): Dark centres blend into radiant shades of pinks, purples, orange, yellow, and crimson. Flowering begins in August, peaking in September.
Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum): Cheerful and quick-spreading with robust all-white petals and a yellow centre. These lovelies bloom from late spring to autumn.
Kingfisher daisy (Felicia amelloides): Local and lively with masses of sky-blue petals and yellow centres. They attract butterflies and flower from spring to autumn.
Osteospermums: Also known as the African daisy. Their masses of gorgeous daisy-like flowers with dark centres come in shades of white, yellow, pink, purple and blue. Their eye-catching, bold coloured flowers make them a fabulous choice for a sunny spot in the garden, tumbling over rocks or spilling down the sides of containers. Osteo’s are water-wise, flower for long periods, and are perennial in areas where frost is not heavy.
Daisy do’s: Although performing best during colder climates, daisy bushes will flower repeatedly throughout the year. If you maintain them well with regular watering, feeding, and deadheading, your garden will be rewarded with near-constant colour and frequent surprises popping up.
More mad blooms to sow now: It’s wakey-wakey to winter beds with marigolds, cosmos, lobularia, cleomes, godetias, lavateras, phlox, sunflowers, impatiens and begonia.
Bulbs to plant now: These summer-flowering bulbs are ready for some rich soil, sun and water: gladiolus, calla lilies, cannas, spider lilies, George lilies, tuberoses, galtonias, schizostylis, crocosmias, storm lilies, arum lilies and dahlias.
Top tip: Don’t be tempted to cut off the leaves of your spring bulbs just yet. Although they have finished flowering, they need these leaves to make food for the developing bulb.
A rosy reminder: Ensure all roses have been pruned and increase watering. Spray bare stems to kill insect eggs and fungus spores. Relocation and transplanting should also be done now, followed by a good feeding.
Edibles for sowing from seed packets
In frost-free areas, sow these summer crops now: runner beans, dwarf beans, maize, sweet corn, pumpkins and squashes.
Herbs heralding the spring sunshine: sweet basil, coriander and rocket.
Remember to harvest your root veggies: parsnips, turnips, beetroot, carrot, and radish.
Edibles for growing from seedlings
Plant out rhubarb, shallots, garlic, globe artichokes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.
Also remember to top-dress perennial crops such as asparagus.
Lawn loving
Begin prepping the lawn for spring with lawn dressing, fertiliser, and compost.
Your pre-spring treatment includes low mowing, firm raking, leveling out, and covering with lawn dressing.
Sow seeds for shade lawn now.
August is windy month so stake all newly planted trees to prevent toppling and breakages.
Ensure all creepers are securely supported on trellises and tie-down branches where needed.
Mulch around your edibles to prevent wind erosion and help retain warmth.
Slug repelling
Slugs and snails are eager to feast on soft spring plantings. Go to battle by planting barrier plants around new greens.
Barrier plants include mint, garlic, chives, geraniums and fennel.
Goggas are deterred by the pungent smell and taste of these natural pest-repelling plants.
Ladybugs to the rescue: Our eco-hero of the month is the sweet little ladybug. She may be pretty, but mealybugs, aphids, scale, caterpillars, and thrips beware of her deadly munching crunch. These pesky critters are her favourite meals and she’ll make quick work of them too.
Some cold caution: In very cold regions, leave pruning of frost-damaged plants until next month as the affected foliage protects the plant in case of another frostbite attack.
