I am very happy with my locally grown Gerber Daisies (Gerbera sp.). They’ve performed very well in two locations, on my patio (shown) and by the front steps. Both locations are in full sun, and the containers I put them in were a bit on the small size, so I would guess during the hottest days of the summer, they got a little dry before I could get home to water them.
They are still going strong as you can see from these two pictures taken today. I expect they will continue blooming until frost.
I have had Gerber Daisies before, but this is the best I’ve had. The difference? Maybe it is in the plants themselves and the care and selection of them before I bought them? I did not purchase these from a big box store. I bought these at a local greenhouse operated by a local farmer’s wife (S & K Produce? I’m never quite sure of the name, but it is east of Greenwood) and a near downtown greenhouse called Cit E Scapes, just south of downtown Indianapolis.
Yes, I bought Gerber Daisies at both places because they looked so nice I could not resist! I know there are other gardeners like me, who would have done the same thing. The fact that you already have “one of those” does not mean you can’t buy another one and maybe one more, especially when you are buying plants in the spring for containers, and if you end up with too many plants, you just go get more containers! There really is no limit, right? As if it is even possible to have too many plants! Right?!
The tag with the daises I bought at Cit E Scapes indicated the plants were locally grown by K & B Greenhouse. I’ve included the tag below so you can see that “their Hoosier roots run deep” and “their plants love the Indiana climate”. I would love to thank them and let them know how well these daisies did, but alas, my search on the Internet came up rather empty. So, to whoever they are, thanks for a great daisy!
Carol, those are some healthy looking Gerbera daisies. If you could see mine now…well never mind, it’s a sad story! I believe buying them from a local grower made all the difference in your plants, they do take care of them, unlike the big box stores. Their mottos should be “Buy them today, for tomorrow they may be dead”!
Love their cute tag too, Hoosier pride for sure!
I love the tags, too. Grown locally is a big plus. Folks that grow things locally usually are more interested in the quality of the plant and soil since they are growing for “neighbors”. Locally grown means the grower gets quicker feedback and the customer feels that they have a connection to the grower. I think this is a huge plus for independent garden centers. There seems to be an interest by some people in knowing where and how the plants they buy are grown.
The soil these places use is usually better since the soil is one of the most important factors in the success of the plant. As lostroses mentioned, the plants from the box stores often don’t perform as well. I think it’s the cheaper soil that those growers use. The customer to the chain only sees the plant, not the soil. Soil is one of the hidden reason for success or failure!
Trey, I agree, there is no substitute for good soil!
I have a yellow one that I bought from a florists shop in the winter and when spring came, planted it outside. It has done extraordianry for me, I’ve never had them do so well. Perhaps it was a good year for them?