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HOME & GARDEN
21
Simple as a Daisy Now's the time to take cuttings for next year's blooms and
Claire Beaton tells us how
Many of the flowers we fill our gar- Girl'. They can be bought in a few tings into a tub of systemic fungicide. about the low level of nourishment
den borders with have such compli- Garden Centres each spring, but they This feels expensive but any left can in the mix.
cated flower shapes: double snap- are more likely to be found on Plant be sprayed onto a deserving plant From the fungicide bath, the cut-
dragons and petunias, asters with Sales tables at 'Yellow Book' gardens outside (roses mildewy from the ting has its bottom end tipped briefly
powder puffs of quills. Overall they that open for charity. drought). Next, use dean pots (or into rooting powder) then into a hole
can weigh the beds down with their September may be an odd month other containers). These cuttings will made with a dibber/pencil. Space
colour. If we have a dubious sum- to be thinking of next year's summer be staying put until next spring, so a about six around the edge of a pot,
mer; yes, 1989 has been marvelous, display, but it is the time to be taking fair depth of potting mix is needed to firm the mix gently around the stem,
but we have had to wait since 1976 cuttings of such tender perennials provide space for their roots. I mix a dunk the pot into water, drain, then
for such a summer; these heavy you wish to keep and perhaps grow multi-purpose compost 50-50 with into a plastic bag or propagator. The
blooms hang their heads and disinte- in increased numbers so they can be perlite for my potting mix, which plants should be rooted in three to
grate in the rain. The simpler flower planted out as a main display next seems fairly successful. The aim is a four weeks and then weaned from
shapes are usually more robust and, summer. You could also pay your mix that will be warm and moist their sheltered home. Then they
of these the daisy shape is one of the neighbours a compliment by asking without being too damp. These plants should be as simple to keep until next
sunniest and most attractive. permission to take afewcuttings from must not grow too much during the spring as any fuschia or geranium
I think I have become so fond of their gardens. These tender perenni- winter so there is no need to worry dug up from the garden.
them because they are such tough als grow so quickly you would be
customers. The hardest thing about unlucky if your friends could not • •um•u..•..•..uu.•..
them is their naming. The tender spare any cutting material!
- 1 HANDIHIRE
perennial daisies, usually known as Armed with a plastic bag and sds- :
Paris Daisies, have become my latest sors/secateurs/pruning knife choose
TOOL AND PLANT HI
enthusiasm, and these are the latest stems that look young and healthy, .
victim of the professional plant- still producing new leaves. Try to
namers' insistence on correct nomen- take one without a flower bud, but if
clature. The purists will tell you it is this is difficult, do not worry, just
called Argyranthemum frutescens. remove it later. Cut shoots are put
This is the simple daisy, white with a into the plastic bag until collecting is
yellow eye, grown in lollipop shapes finished and taken inside.
in pots and usually called the mar- Here each cutting is reduced to a
guerite. 3" length, leaves removed from the
Other forms of Paris Daisy are bottom %rds and the stem cut cleanly
available in shades of yellow or pink, below a leaf joint. These cuttings EASY PARKING - COLLECTION/DELIVERY SERVICE
MON-FRI. 8am-6pm; SAT. 8am-5pm
or again in white but with varying fe- - want to root for you: their chief hridy
liage: green, or a very fine grey fili- obstacles will be any fungus that rots Unit 9, Marlborough Road Industrial Estate,
Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire SN4 8AX
gree. These are grown with names them faster than they can root and j
such as 'Jamaica Primrose', 'Mary extremes of wet/dry around them Tel: Swindon 854821
U... •UUUU•UU•U.U•
Wootton', 'Vancouver' and 'Chelsea First precaution is to dunk all cut- ••••UI•..... U...
' Lydiard Millicent

Tel: Swindon 771766
q1
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