h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Cool effects! My old phone takes photos only one way. But I have Photoshop! Anyways I love Gerberas, the wild ones grow close to where I live.

Willem, are the wild ones all different colours there, or is that just the ones that are hybrids here?

Sasha, you seem to be getting a lot of joy from you new camera, these are great pictures.

Good article very few folk use the functions of their cameras

You've reminded me that I've never grown Gerbera daisies yet. I'm toying with the idea of planting an all-daisy garden next year. Gerberas come along fairly early in the season, Shastas in the middle, and Montauks at the tail end. STretching the daisy definition a bit, I would start the season with Alpine Asters. As the Shastas are fading, I would have white Coneflowers. English daisies would be nice; I could grow them from seed.

The gerberas in international horticulture are primarily hybrids of the Barberton Daisy, Gerbera jamesonii, and another South African daisy, Gerbera viridifolia. The former is a robust daisy, with the flower stalk often standing 1m tall; its flowers are red-orange. The other one is smaller, but has varied colours, white to pink to mauve-purple.

Thanks everyone!

Yes, I am getting a lot of joy out of my camera indeed - excellent to try different things and share the results with interested people

That's interesting about gerbera hybrids! I once tried growing one but I couldn't find the right place for it to be happy, so the plant only lasted a little bit longer than a bunch of cut gerbera flowers...

Yes, location matters. Soil can be trickier than you think, because underground roots might be pumping toxins into the soil, with the purpose of preventing nearby plants from thriving. Buttercups and Windflowers do this, as do Coneflowers and Aelanthus trees. Also hickory and hemlock trees.

They might be vulnerable to overwatering, especially if planted in soil that doesn't drain very well...

I haven't tried to grow Gerberas. I've had mixed success with Shasta daisies. I planted them in a sunny spot in front of my house many years ago, and they promptly died. But a few years ago a friend gave me some Shasta seeds, which I grew on my windowsill and then planted next to an opld tree trunk. They're thriving like crazy! Go figure.

Ah, yes overwatering would explain it, as I do know the flowers don't need much water in a vase, but wasn't sure how much the plant needed...

I might well have another go at growing a gerbera plant if I see one to buy, now I have more information about them

Compost and manure are supposed to be good for them. Afternoon shade helps, too.

In the wild here in South Africa, the Barberton daisies grow in bush clumps in mountainous regions. Thus, a lot of mist, and shading by trees and shrubs.

Ah, yes - this all helps to explain why my plant wasn't happy... Morning shade and afternoon sun was the wrong way round, and it was too wet at the roots while not being moist enough at the leaves...

*takes notes*

It takes a lot of time and trial and error to make plants happy sometimes.