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BY OCCASIONS |
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BY SPECIAL DAYS |
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BY FLOWERS |
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BY PRICES |
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January Plant of the Month
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African daisy
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Botanical name: Gerbera jamesonii
Gerbera daisies are native to Africa, Madagascar, tropical Asia and South America. The genus Gerbera was named after a German naturalist, Traugott Gerber in the year 1743 while the species G. jamesonii was named after Robert Jameson who collected the species in the Barbeton-Transvaal area in South Africa where he was running a gold mine in 1884. This is why Gerberas are also known as Barbeton or Transvaal daisies.
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The
Gerberas available today are a cross between G. jamesonii
and G. viridifolia and
were first bred at the end of the 19th century in England
by Richard Lynch. These
cheerful flowers come in a wide range of colours and an assortment of
petal shapes such as frilly, wide petalled and double petalled.
Breeders have also come up with miniature versions of Gerberas.
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Care
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Gerberas are happy little plants, which grow best in well-drained
soil with a good amount of sunshine. They are perfect for borders,
planter boxes and container gardens and their blooms are perfect as
cut flowers. Always ensure that the crown of the plant is
slightly above the soil levelor
the plant will die from crown rot. Be quick to remove any wilting
leaves and flowers. Allow the soil to dry slightly in between
watering. Slow release fertilizers
for flowering plants, rose fertilizers and fertilizers specially
formulated for flowering plants should be applied to encourage
constant blooms. Watch out for pest attacks, which are common on
this plant. Do not over water and remove the lower leaves, which are
close to the soil. Easily propagated by division and seeds.
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