Home | You & SGAP | Getting Involved with SGAP | SGAP Qld Region | ASGAP | SGAP Publications

Local Branches | Study Groups | Study Group List | Queensland Nurseries | Special Articles


GROWING DAISIES IN BUNDABERG

Margery Stutchbury

Bundaberg is situated on the Burnett River, 365km north of Brisbane (in Queensland). The flat, open, volcanic plains were once covered with dense forest and vine scrub, known as the Woongarra Scrub. Unfortunately, they were completely cleared in the early pioneering days and put under cultivation of sugarcane. The elevation is 30 metres, the only hill being the remains of a volcano. It is a sloping hummock 90 metres high, now known as The Hummock, and it is the only place from which to obtain a view of the countryside.

Average temperatures during our hottest month, January, are a minimum of 21.6ºC and a maximum of 30ºC, and our coldest month, July, are a minimum of 10.5ºC and a maximum of 21.8ºC. Average annual rainfall is 1138mm falling over 96 wet days per year. Much of it is from short, sharp storms during summer, with some cyclonic rain. Most rain falls between November and March. The area is very dry at time of writing (30/9/94) with many bushfires burning up the coastal areas of Queensland.

My daisy garden was established in 1993 at our home of 30 years. Logs were put in place and a sandy loam was purchased and spread over the existing lawn. A compost of mostly lawn clippings and garden cuttings was mixed through.

The garden faces east and is approximately 14m x 1m. At one end a large Liquidambar tree grows, and at the other end a Eucalyptus ptychocarpa and Brachychiton acerifolius give shade to that part of the garden. Scattered through the garden are low-growing Callistemon pachyphyllus with green flowers, C. Mr. Foster, Banksia ericifolia, B. oblongifolia and B. spinulosa.

Golden Everlasting
Bracteantha bracteata.


The following daisies grow in my garden: Bracteantha bracteata Hastings Gold, B. bracteata Dargan Hill Monarch, plus crosses, including a lemon Dargan Hill Monarch. The Brachyscomes include B. ibiridifolia, B. multifida, B. multifida Alba and B. parvula var. parvula. I have purchased a plant of B. angustifolia, which is growing in a sheltered courtyard and is just coming into bud. I suspect it would like a bit more sun than it receives. Recently I bought B. segmentosa and planted it in full sun in the Daisy garden.

Brachyscome segmentosa

I have one large plant of Chrysocephalum semipapposum grown from 1993 Australian Daisy Study Group seed. It did not flower last year and the first clusters are appearing now (September).It is a large spreading border plant with attractive grey-green foliage. So far, the flowers are not particularly attractive, but AI guess a mass of flowering plants would be good. One plant of Podotheca gnaphaloides is flowering well from last years seed.

Rhodanthe anthemoides is in a large pot in a semi-shaded barbecue area. It has lots of flowers at the ends of long stems and has self-sown in nearby pots and also in crevices between paving. Four were sown in a large pot and are flowering better this year than last.

Rhodanthe chlorocephala and R. chlorocephala ssp. rosea are providing a lovely display of white, pink, darker pink and one apricot. R. manglesii is represented by one self-sown plant from last year, with white flowers - last years were pink.

I grow Schoenia filifolia ssp. subulifolia and also have a small creeping daisy which grows on the roadsides up here and is sold in nurseries. It has little yellow pompom flowers.

Most of the daisies are self-sown, particularly the Bracteantha. There are crossed varieties - some yellow, some lemon, some white - some single, some large double and some I call semi-double with finer bracts than the large doubles. Then there are the smaller ones, which I think are a cross between the single yellow and the smaller Bracteantha bracteata Hastings Gold. Some hold their flowers on quite long stems.

The Brachyscomes are all smallish plants growing near the edge of the garden, which is largely made up of Bracteanthas. I have four little round plants of Brachyscome parvula var. parvula (from Huntly, Vic.) growing together. The plants last year did not thrive nearly as well as these. I think the soil may have been responsible, or else something attacked the roots. These plants are lovely, 10-12cm in diameter and 13cm high (including flowers). Heads are white and 2cm wide. Height from base of stem is 8-10cm. Flowers, once spent, seem to set seed quite quickly. Each plant is at present supporting more than ten flowers, with many buds as well. They grow in full sun for most of the day, with dappled shade from a tree in the late afternoon.

This is the first time I have grown Brachyscome ibiridifolia. I just happened to find two half-dead punnets at Woollies for half price. I felt sorry for them, and all they needed was a good drink. They are now flowering beautifully - blue, purple and white. Plants that are in part shade are not nearly as vigorous as those in full sun. It remains to be seen whether they will self-sow.

Brachyscome multifida is often seen in the shops here. I have grown these with success and cuttings are easy to strike most of the year. They seem to favour a semi-shaded position and flower well in flushes, mostly winter and spring. The plant I have in full sun is not nearly as good at that in part shade. Of course, this could be due to soil conditions, but Ive noticed previously that they seem to flourish in a sheltered spot. My B. multifida Alba, growing in full sun nest to the purple-flowered B. multifida, is not vigorous either.


Top | Home | You & SGAP | Getting Involved with SGAP | SGAP Qld Region | ASGAP | SGAP Publications

Local Branches | Study Groups | Study Group List | Queensland Nurseries | Special Articles