Gerbera daisies symbolize purity, innocence and cheerfulness. First discovered in South Africa in 1884, today they are one of the five most popular cut flowers in the world. The flower got its name from Traugott Gerber, a German botanist. These beautiful flowers are fresh, brightly-coloured and merry. Gerbera daisies are easily grown in home gardens. They love both sun and partial shade and do great in warm climates.
The Flower
The Gerbera Daisy first caught the attention of Robert Jameson, who was working in a goldmine in South Africa. The cheerful flower became a favourite of growers and breeders, who began to create hybrids of new colours and forms. The Gerbera Daisy symbolizes the month of April and is often used for spring and summer events, for graduations, in weddings arrangements and bouquets.
Tips for Your Garden
You can grow Gerbera daisies in almost any colour, so if you want to have a joyful and colourful garden, this is the perfect flower for that purpose. Here are some factors to consider:
• Gerbera daisies favour soil that is rich in humus with a peat base.
• Gerberas must be planted in late spring, with enough space from one another. Gerberas, if taken care of properly, grow up to 1 foot and become really wide.
• Gerbera daisies also love the sun, so plant them in a spot where there’s enough sunlight exposure for a few hours a day and then there is partial shade.
• The soil has to be fertilized once every two weeks.
• Water the flowers in the morning, around their base and don’t water the petals.
• These flowers are quite vulnerable to slugs, so if you notice those, spread snail bait. Check for pests regularly and clean immediately.
Arrangements and Bouquets
You can find numerous colours, sizes and shapes of Gerbera daisy flowers, which makes them perfect for all sorts of bouquets and flower arrangements. The flowers are unfussy and they match really well with many others.
• A nice bouquet is a mixture of Gerbera daisies and carnations, tulips, pansies, dahlias or calla lilies. With plenty of greenery, this will be a bold bouquet.
• Paired with roses you get the perfect romantic bouquet, especially if you keep it small and round-shaped.
• Gerbera daisies make wonderful decorations for wedding receptions with their bright and festive colours.
• Generally these flowers stand for purity, innocence, classic beauty and friendship, so if you want one of these as the statements of your bouquet, choose a beautiful mixture and you can’t go wrong.
Types
• White: similar to the classic white daisy, this flower represents innocence and truth and is one of the most popular flowers all over the world.
• Pink: Available throughout the year, the pink Gerbera daisy comes in a wide range of pink shades – from dark pink to fuchsia and bubblegum pink.
• Red: This pretty flower stands for being in love unconsciously. With their perfect petals, the red Gerbera daisies are frequently used for bouquets.
• Orange: This type carries the original meaning of the gerbera daisies, but bright orange also stands for cheerfulness. It is believed that this flower is appropriate for giving to someone we want to apologize to. It conveys a strong positive message: “You’re my sunshine”.
Gerbera daisies are one of those flowers which can be given at any occasion and still look appropriate – graduations, birthdays, Mother’s Day, weddings, the Gerbera daisy is a versatile flower and one of the most loved around the world.
