 These brilliant, low-maintenance plants are ideal for the modern garden.
Although they look very much like the traditional cineraria, which are most often grown as indoor plants, they behave in a slightly different way. They originated in the Canary Islands, then the plants were taken to Japan, where they have been bred and improved to cope with hot, dry conditions without loosing their hardiness. This means that they do not need as much water in the summer as many other plants and can be planted out early in the spring.
The vivid, daisy-like flowers first appear in late spring and continue well into the autumn, especially if you give them the occasional light trim to remove the fading blooms. Just a couple of years ago there were only three colours available, now you can select from Apple Blossom, Blue, Light Blue Bi-colour, Magenta, Magenta Bi-colour and White.
Plants grow to 30-45cm (12-18") and have a similar spread. They are particularly suited to growing in borders and containers where they will cope with temperatures as low as minus 6oc providing the roots don't become waterlogged. |
