You say Gerbera, I say Gerber ... some say Transvaal  (ok, not too many say the last one)

Say what you will, your mouth will be smiling when you gaze upon such a Daisy.

They may be the happiest looking flowers.  Their dazzling array of colors are so bright & cheerful.

Recently, I worked on centerpieces for my daughter's school benefit.  A trip to the fantastic LA Flower Mart resulted in buckets & buckets of Gerbers. The perfect flower for the theme "All you need is Love".

I snapped these pics with my phone as we made up 50 arrangements.  What a way to spend the day!  

Wanting to share all this beauty & some info with you, I researched & learned and now I give to you...

Gerber Daisies - 101 how to plant, grow & enjoy

In the garden:

Gerber Daisies can be grown from seed, but it is difficult and you can not be sure which variety will end up in your garden.

Better methods are from seedling, divided plant or potted plant transplanted. 

Gerbers need full sun, sandy soil & a bit of compost at planting to thrive.

Plant Gerbers with the crown visable. Planted too deeply they will likely suffer from crown rot. (that's a bummer)

Let the crown dry out between waterings.

Indoors:

Gerbers can last up to two years indoors under the right conditions. (but they are kinda picky)

Bright light & moderate temperatures are the keys to a happy Gerber indoors.

Morning light is great, hot afternoon light not so much.  Above 70 degrees they suffer.

Water the same way allowing the crown to day out between waterings.

Cut Flowers:

Gerber plants may be tricky indoors, but as a cut flower these daisies rock.

Here is the secret ~ display them in vase with only other Gerbers or better yet, one stem each in many short squat vases.  Add only an inch of water. A large volume of shallow water is ideal for lasting blooms.

With the stunning color of Gerber's one in a vase is plenty.  Scatter the vases around you whole house for a bit of cheer everywhere.

Gerber's like to be alone like Garbo, because, they soak up a lot of water if given the chance.  They almost drown themselves & the steams get weak. Weak stems = faded flowers.

Make the stems work a little harder by giving then less water to soak up & they will stay strong to support the glorious blossoms!

You can also snip off the ends when you see them getting soggy.  

Follow my advice & your Gerbers will last & last.

One more tip, don't put them or any other cut flowers near a bowl of fruit.

Fruits, apples in particular, emit an ethylene gas which shortens the life of the bouquet. Same goes for faded flowers remove them immediately.

Hope you enjoy this post!  I had such a wonderful day arranging all those flowers.  

If you liked what you read here, you may enjoy Tulips 101 and Flowering Arranging.

** Kelly **