Marguerite Daisy LaRita 'Banana Split'

Soft, banana yellow petals with a deepening raspberry pink sprinkle. LaRita ‘Banana Split’ has blooms to 5cm across and the varying colours look fab.

Marguerite Daisies will give you an almost constant supply of flowers that easily last a week or two in a vase. They are one of the ultimate low maintenance, long flowering plants, and these dwarf varieties are a cut above the rest.

The evergreen, erect shrubs grow to nice little mounds of soft, finely dissected, mid green leaves. Marguerite Daisies are well suited to coastal areas, sunny beds and borders as well as containers. They are both salt and wind tolerant.

Marguerite Daisies were hugely popular decades ago, before falling out of fashion. But with their long flowering period, ease of care and practical disposition, combined with new breeding, there is now a wider variety of colours, shapes and sizes and they are making a long overdue come back.

Plant Marguerite Daisies in moderately fertile to humus rich soil where they will receive at least six hours of sun a day. It is a good idea to protect young plants from frost while young. The most prolific flowers occur in spring and autumn when the nights are cool.

As Marguerite Daisies are establishing, you can pinch out the new growth, this will encourage a more bushy plant – with these new varieties it is less important. Once they are up and flowering, regular dead heading, or picking will promote more blooms. Never prune to dead wood, but a harder prune after flowering will help maintain a bushy habit. They are short lived perennials so you can enjoy a few years of amazing displays with this sort of treatment. Fertilise annually in spring.

If you grow your Argyranthemum in pots, you will need to water regularly over the warmer months to maintain flowering – potting mix is perfectly drained so dries out quickly. It is also a good idea to add some fertiliser, they work hard so need a bit of incentive.

Argyranthemum are commonly known as Marguerite Daisies, Federation Daisies and Paris Daisies.