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Gazania
Gazanias have a rather
mixed reputation. Undeniably colourful, their
sparkling flowers have the unfortunate reputation
of closing in dull weather - a reputation which, in
the case of older varieties, is entirely deserved.
This has led some gardeners simply to pass them by,
turning to boring old marigolds when they need
plants in this colour range. What a mistake.
Two things have happened
which should dissuade all but the most stubborn
from this view - and if you're that stubborn you
don't deserve this book. The first is that with the
Talent Series
we have plants with soft grey
foliage so that even when the flowers are closed
the plants still have great value.
The second event of
significance in the development of seed-raised
gazanias is that a plant breeder in California
started visiting his gazania trials in the middle
of the night. This was not a sign that in his quest
for the ever-open gazania he had finally abandoned
control of his own reason - on the contrary.
In their native South
Africa gazania flowers close up in poor weather to
protect the pollen from moisture. This mechanism is
triggered by low temperatures, poor light or by a
combination of the two. Plant breeders have been
working intensively on developing gazanias in which
this mechanism is less prominent, allowing the
flowers to stay open longer in cooler, duller
climates.
Older varieties like the
'Sunshine Hybrids', 'Sundance'
and 'Harlequin' were effective outside only in
bright sunny weather, and on the rare occasions
when they were brought into the house as cut
flowers, the constant warmth ensured the flowers
remained open.
Visiting the gazania
trials in middle of the night revealed individual
plants which closed up that little bit less than
their neighbours. These were then checked during
daylight hours, and the best incorporated into the
breeding programme. The result was the Daybreak
Series, whose flowers really do stay open longer
than other gazanias.
'Daybreak Red Stripe' is
especially startling, recalling the best of
'Sundance' and 'Harlequin' in its boldly striped
flowers but with the addition of newly introduced
long flowering habit. It makes an impressive
planting with the cuttings-raised Oenothera
'African Sun' alongside, or Bidens 'Goldie';
it's important to plant gazanias with low growing
neighbours as they flower so much less well when
overshadowed.
The colour range has
broadened too although I see little point in the
pinks and cream which have now appeared in the
Chansonette and Mini-Star series; they always look
slightly dirty. The more familiar yellows, orange
shades, chestnut and gold, in some cases striped in
contrasting shades or with contrasting marks at the
base of the petals, are far more effective.
Although gazanias make
splendid mixers in sunny containers and in intimate
plantings in small sunny corners, they also make
spectacular ground cover. On sunny banks along the
drive or at the front of a property facing a road,
sweeps of 'Talent' gazanias may cause passing
drivers to swerve in shock and astonishment - so
avoid this planting if you live on a bend.
Gazania
A-Z
