Shopping for Gerbera Daisy Seeds
Gerbera daisies are easy to cultivate, and you can purchase seeds to bring this bright and colorful flower into your own gardens. These daisies go by many names, including African daisy, Barberton daisy and Transvaal daisy, but by any name they are a beautiful and popular flower. In addition to adding color to your garden, their seeds can be used for other purposes, such as wedding favors.
The Origin of the Gerbera Daisy
The gerbera daisy is a native of South Africa, and was discovered and named by Traugott Gerber, a German naturalist, in the 18th century. He was struck by the same loveliness that has made the Gerbera Daisy popular ever since; the bright colors and the soft petals. The most common colors of gerbera daisies are white, pink, yellow, orange and red.
These daisies grow on bare stems to about ten-eighteen inches tall. These are annual flowers, needing plenty of sunlight and fertile soil to grow in, but can be grown all year long in a greenhouse. They can also be kept up to six weeks in a small pot within the home.
Besides all of their attractive and efficient qualities, the Gerber Daisy has another wonderful surprise. It has been found, through experiments at NASA, to remove chemical vapors and toxic gases from the air. Not only will your daisy be charming, but it will also be healthy to keep in the house.
How to Purchase Seeds for the Gerbera Daisy
The gerbera daisy is very common and easy to find. Respected seed stores like Burpee carry packets of mixed colors for purchase. Twenty-five seeds will cost you just over three dollars. The gerbera daisy is a very economical seed to raise.
There is another wonderful use for gerbera daisy seeds that has been growing in popularity, and that is giving them away at weddings as favors. There are businesses who wrap a packet of seeds within stationary for table assignments, like Plant a Memory, that can also contain a lovely poem or saying about letting love bloom. They also offer a more deluxe gift of a wrapped box that contains gerbera daisy seeds as well as a small pot to grow the seeds in your own home. Since the gerbera daisy is so easy to plant, and so beautiful a flower, it can be a very popular gift from any event. They would be especially appropriate for an eco-conscious wedding.
How to Plant the Gerbera Daisy
For best results, the seeds must be no older than three months. You can sow seeds during the summer right outside in your garden. If you’d like to grow them earlier, you must use a seed tray. When the seedlings are prominent enough to manage, separate them into small pots. When they are 15-20 centimeters tall, they are ready to add to your garden. Make sure to space them 50 centimeters apart. In only a month the plants will begin to flower.
Just make sure your plant is receiving plenty of light and appropriate amounts of water and your gerbera daisy seeds will give you a beautiful and beneficial plant.
