Argyranthemum. Size matters!

Last post 23-07-2009 11:13 AM by philip99a. 3 replies.

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13/07/2009 02:47 PM
philip99a Location: Leicester (city centre) Joined on: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 36	Reply \| Contact I bought two yellow daisy-like annuals from my local nursery to plant in pots (containing new peat-free compost with some of my kitchen compost added) in my back yard: Argyranthemum frutescens: Maggy Pastel Yellow "Argyrayesi" and Argyranthemum "Summersong Primrose" Both looked excellent for the first few weeks, especially the Maggy Pastel Yellow "Argyrayesi". I fed them and watered them, then when the flowers began to fade I carefully dead-headed them. Sure enough, new flower buds then formed pretty quickly. But the new (second flush) flowers that are now opening up, are very much smaller and less showy than the originals! If the original flowers were 3.5 cm diameter, the new ones are much closer to 2 cm. Is this just inevitable; second flush flowers are always smaller? Or is it that the growers use lots of artificial light and other tricks of the glasshouse trade to produce a sellable plant with big flowers and I'll never be able to replicate that outdoors in my garden. Or it is that full sun is the only hope? but in my garden and yard there is nowhere with full sun, everywhere is in shadow for at least part of the day. Now I'm noticing that all the expensive annuals I bought, to bulk out my rather bare and ignored garden, are producing smaller and smaller blooms as the summer progresses. Do I just have to roll over and accept this or is there anything I can do?? I am feeding, watering and dead-heading them all regularly. A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.

13/07/2009 02:47 PM

philip99a
Location:
Leicester (city centre)
Joined on:
10 Jun 2009
Posts:
36

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I bought two yellow daisy-like annuals from my local nursery to plant in pots (containing new peat-free compost with some of my kitchen compost added) in my back yard: Argyranthemum frutescens: Maggy Pastel Yellow "Argyrayesi" and Argyranthemum "Summersong Primrose" Both looked excellent for the first few weeks, especially the Maggy Pastel Yellow "Argyrayesi". I fed them and watered them, then when the flowers began to fade I carefully dead-headed them. Sure enough, new flower buds then formed pretty quickly. But the new (second flush) flowers that are now opening up, are very much smaller and less showy than the originals! If the original flowers were 3.5 cm diameter, the new ones are much closer to 2 cm. Is this just inevitable; second flush flowers are always smaller? Or is it that the growers use lots of artificial light and other tricks of the glasshouse trade to produce a sellable plant with big flowers and I'll never be able to replicate that outdoors in my garden. Or it is that full sun is the only hope? but in my garden and yard there is nowhere with full sun, everywhere is in shadow for at least part of the day. Now I'm noticing that all the expensive annuals I bought, to bulk out my rather bare and ignored garden, are producing smaller and smaller blooms as the summer progresses. Do I just have to roll over and accept this or is there anything I can do?? I am feeding, watering and dead-heading them all regularly.

A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.

21/07/2009 08:49 AM	In reply to
philip99a Location: Leicester (city centre) Joined on: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 36	Reply \| Contact Why no replies folks? It's a serious question. A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.

22/07/2009 07:07 PM	In reply to
bigsusan55 Location: North-West London Joined on: 14 May 2009 Posts: 144	Reply \| Contact Perhaps we don't know the answer

22/07/2009 07:07 PM

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bigsusan55
Location:
North-West London
Joined on:
14 May 2009
Posts:
144

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Perhaps we don't know the answer Embarrassed

23/07/2009 11:13 AM	In reply to
philip99a Location: Leicester (city centre) Joined on: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 36	Reply \| Contact ;-) A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.

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Argyranthemum. Size matters!