Gerbera's must all be females!.....just kidding ladies. They are a pain in the ... This is my first year planting these outside in my outdoor flower garden. A couple have died, a few more do bloom and one looks healthy but will no longer seems to bloom at all. They all get approx. 3-4 hrs of sun usually from 11 am to 2-3 pm. All planted facing east in front of residence. I watered lightly in spring and almost daily in summer. Some blooms wilt in summer sun some do not. The red bloom gerbers are NOT the hardiest for some reason. I use Miracle Gro fertilizer approx. once every 7-10 days. I have a large bright orange gerber that when I bought it, it had huge size blooms ....now they still bloom but are very short petal sized blooms and not very tall....and the yellow/orangish blooms on other gerbers are now tall in length of stem and bloom well. So, go figure, they are very puzzling plants indeed. Finally, I have one general strong suggestion for all for all outdoor planting of new flowers bought anywhere. Miracle-Gro Garden Soil is just superb. Everything I plant with it does so well. I have never seen such wonderful soil to plant with. BIG HINT: When planting with this soil, make sure you have an approx. minimum extra inch of free space all around the plant you are planting outdoors, then stuff down all around the plant this MG soil garden soil. Believe it or not....Too many outdoor gardeners only plant the new plant in its exact size in the ground-you have to leave some space all the way around it at least 1 full inch-then add then MG soil all around that space. Good luck and remember- a good gardener does not only necessarily have a green thumb- he/she has brown knees!...get a good knee scrubber too.

Here in Southern California a garden can be year round "alive" and I am trying to make the most of this mild climate. Right now my camellias started blooming and the cymbidium orchids are almost ready to open their flowers. Less spectacular but also flowering right now are my alstromerias, and the bacopas open tons of her cute little white flowers. I just finished pruning my roses so there are no flowers on the roses grown in the ground in the moment, but I was very surprised that some of my one year old bands grown in 5 gallon containers and some of my newest bands growing in 1 gallon pots tried or are trying to flower already: Memorial Day, Mr. Lincoln, Sister Elizabeth, Heritage, Mme. Ernest Calvat and Iceberg had already flowers or have buds, that will open soon. I assume that the soil is much warmer in the pots than the regular ground soil and that enables the roses in pots to flower so early. Of course that is only a teaser for the spring flush, can't wait! Christina

I'm not familiar w/ the Marguerite, but I have a patch of Blackfoot Daisies that comes back every year. And every year is lovelier than the last! It does self-seed, but very slowly so not invasive. I have mine out in the H*** Strip where the concrete all around keeps it nice and toasty. I do water it everyday when it gets REAL hot, but otherwise don't do anything but cut it back a bit in the fall. It is blooming now and will bloom til Fall. I personally love this plant and get lots of compliments on it! I started out with two or three 4" pots and it is now a nice mound of white daisies! I'll post a photo later, can't find them now.

Hi everyone! Dont fall over! I know I haven't posted in a while, lol. Trying to sort seeds for the seed swap I'm in. I've been neglecting the seeds for a long time. But I'm excited about that seed swap! I'm so excited right now, because the sun came out!! It has been absent for too long. I'm so tired of rain, cold and gloom. Our Fall is gone. No beautiful trees, no smell of dried leaves. All of the leaves turned brown and stayed wet on the trees. Then they fell. Not all of them yet, but there are no oranges, golds, etc. ***sigh*** I hope everyone who has been ill is feeling better, if not well! So far my family is lucking out, but it is early in the season. cAROL, that was a nice box you sent to Dan. I hope you get yours soon, too. Have fun with your new flower bed! (just don't work too hard!) Dan, hope that box gave you a pick me up, and your not feeling so tired anymore. Do the cats have the the tissue shredded yet? Cats are so funny when they play! Heidi, I'm not sure what is next, or who is down to host next month. Hi Carmen!! (jumping up & down, wavin'!) Best wishes on your new business!! Wish I lived close enough to shop there! Alana, love your Halloween graphics! Tracy, I hope your Bronchitis is about gone! And everyone else in your family is doing good! To everyone, HI! :0) and have a great day!! Karen