I think my love of Osteospermums or Cape Daisies began many moons ago when I lived in Cheshire.
I met a plantaholic of a Osteospermum grower at a car boot sale. Think it was the Countess of Chester Sunday carboot sale which has raised over a million Pounds by hosting carboots on it's hospital carpark on a Sunday?
The man only grey Oste's and he gave us his address and we use to buy lots of them off him. Then one day I told him we wouldn't be buying anymore because we were emigrating to Ireland. He smiled and said: "Is it really emigrating, moving to Ireland?"
I digress. The Osteospermums originate in Cape Town in South 🇿🇦. I adore them and I have been making new plants for the last twenty five years.
Back in 2010 around the time I started writing this blog we were snowed in for two weeks. A once in fifty years experience apparently. We lost a lot of the the Osteospermums.
Fortunately 3 plants survived and I made lots of new plants from the ones that came on the ferry way back in 2001 in a wheelie bin:
One of my pals in a patio.
You have the best of green thumbs. What stories your plants have. Time to write Your book
ReplyDeleteI would love to write a book about growing perennials in West Cork Linda. You should write your Poros cook book.
ReplyDeleteYes. I would like to give you a book deal. Make a handwritten version of "The Yellow Pages" for ten quid!
ReplyDeleteWell it's an offer.
DeleteDo you have a local paper there? You might try pitching a gardening column to them.
ReplyDeleteI definitely have a book in my head and on this blog Debby.
DeleteSome people don't understand that gardening doesn't have to be an expensive undertaking. You'd do a great service
DeleteThanks Debby. Gardening need not be expensive or even have a garden. It's the interest and passion and love of plants that makes you a gardener.
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ReplyDeleteDelete that last - Great back story. The cape daisies we grew on the balcony in Pireaus obviously cross pollinated because the ones we grew from the seed had all sorts of weird and wonderful colour patterning.
ReplyDeleteYes they do cross pollinate Tigger. I love how the flowers go to sleep at night.
DeleteThey're pretty and we have some here in the grounds, just a few seconds walk away from my front door.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourites River and easy to make cuttings from.
ReplyDelete