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36 Thursday March 16 2017
Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
The Star
Gardening
Beautiful blooms from gerberas
Rachel Vogan says bright-faced gerberas
offer more than ever before, with new breeds
no longer restricted to indoor living only
YEARS AGO, gerberas were
predominantly grown inside as
they were deemed to be a little
temperamental and challenging
to grow outdoors.
Years of breeding has seen the
development of new types that
have been bred specifically to
counter this flaw and flourish
especially well in pots. Yahoo, I
say. It now means you can easily
grow your own cut flowers at
home.
Gerberas are often a first
choice in bouquets and a popular
choice for brides on the Big Day.
The flowers come in a rainbow
of colours with true blue and
ebony black seeming to be the
only omissions at the moment,
although that could easily change
with all the breeding being
undertaken.
In the shops you will find two
main brands of outdoor patio
gerberas – Garvinea and Sweet
series. Garvinea were bred to
flower over a longer period and
are about half the size of the large
florist’s gerberas.
The colour range is amazing
and flowers themselves very
eye-catching as they produce
so many flower stems per plant.
With a compact growth habit
they are definite patio and tub
option, especially if you want
to create a wow factor. These
flowers pick well, too, although
it always seems sad not to leave
them outside strutting their stuff,
especially if they are planted in
your outdoor living areas.
They are true perennials,
meaning they don’t die after
one season. Hailing from
South Africa, they prefer a
free-draining soil rather than
anything too wet or heavy.
Protect from harder frosts, as
anything below -5 deg C is too
cold for them. If they are planted
in tubs, move the tubs closer to
the house or even indoors over
winter.
New this season are those in
the Sweet series, which have all
the same attributes as Garvineas,
but offer much larger blooms.
One I am going to hunt down
is ‘Sweet Surprise’ with its layers
of pale lavender petals. This
colour appeals to those who
enjoy tones of blue and violet
in the garden or on the patio.
Another newcomer is ‘Sweet
Memories’, which boasts an array
of pretty pastel-pink outer petals
that contrast beautifully with
the creamy-white centres. This
one is sure to quickly become a
favourite with flower lovers.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
When to plant gerbera outdoors
Warm climates summer and autumn
Temperate climates summer and autumn
Cold climates summer
When to plant gerberas indoors
All regions, all year round.
Where to plant
Full sun, free-draining soil, protect from heavy frost.
VIVID: Sweet Memories (top). This is one you can grow in the garden or pots and tubs. (Above
left) Gerbera ‘Kermit’ is a new florist-only variety, ask or order it by name. It’s a real character;
Gerberas can last for a good 10 days to a fortnight when used in floral arrangements.
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