My Dainty Little Daisies

“These are terrific, we need to get some.”

That’s what Dean said, and I must admit, I’d not given daisies a second thought, though now I am glad Dean suggested buying them.  That was back in August last year.  (It sounds weird saying ‘last year’.)  

We planted them in the garden bed in the backyard, and although they are not overly prolific (yet), I can see their little white faces from inside the house.  They lie along the garden edging, smiling out from between the blades of grass that always seem to need mowing, and they add a pop of colour to an area that would otherwise look all ‘green’.

Sadly, I think some ‘get the chop’ when Dean does the mowing, but for now, there they are all bright and summery.

They are so cute and one little caterpillar thinks so.

Some are perfect, some not so much, but that just makes them special.

That one in the background has not been eaten.

It grew that way and it’s a daisy heart.

And these little beauties are only small.

They measure approx. 1 cm wide (0.4 inches).

Yes, they are dainty little daisies.

– ⋅ o ♥ o ⋅ –

I’m not sure of their scientific name, I know them as ‘Everlasting Daisies’, but I think they might be Erigeron karvinksianus, also known as Mexican fleabane or Latin American Fleabane.  They belong to the Asteraceae family – that very large and widespread family of flowering plants that includes the aster, the daisy, and the sunflower.  It’s a big family with over 32,000 different species.  Wow!

What makes this little plant so special is that is can grow rapidly, creating a carpet of flowers.  It’s hardy enough to establish and flourish in the gaps in paving and will create a cascading effect over rock walls.  Where do you want these flowers growing?  They even make a stunning display in a hanging basket.

I don’t have a carpet of them yet, but I do have enough to catch my eye and, as I said earlier, I can see their little white faces from inside the house