How to grow gazanias

Native to South Africa, gazanias love a hot, sunny position in the garden. Soil should be moderately fertile and well-drained. Gazanias will do well in coastal and gravel gardens and suit containers and hanging baskets.

Planting gazanias

Annual gazanaias can be sown from seed in late winter/early spring. Sow in in pots or trays of seed compost. They benefit from heat to germinate, so either place in a heated propagator or in a clear plastic bag on a warm windowsill. When your gazania seedlings are big enough to handle, transplant into pots and hard off outdoors on warmer days before planting out after the last frost.

Taking gazania cuttings

Take cuttings in late summer and overwinter indoors.

• Watch Chris Beardshaw take semi-ripe cuttings (video)
• Watch Carol Klein propagating plants (video)

Gazanias: problem solving

Gazanias are generally pest and disease free when grown outdoors. Look out for aphids when brought indoors overwinter.

Care

Deadhead gazanias regularly to ensure plentiful blooms and although gazanias do well in hot dry conditions, do water if dry spells continue for a long time. Feed container grown gazanias fortnightly with potash-rich fertiliser. Pot-grown gazanias can be overwintered indoors.

Gazania varieties to try

• Gazania 'Big Kiss White Flame' - the large white and pink-striped petals are almost as big as your hand. Perfect for filling gaps in a sunny summer border, or for growing in a container
• Gazania 'Tiger Stripes' - has bright yellow and orange-striped blooms. It's perfect for using in a tropical container display with other fiery coloured flowers, as well as in the border to fill gaps
• Gazania ‘Kiss Bronze’ - bears double flowers in a cheerful bronze-orange
• Gazania 'Kiss Gold' - flowers early on in the summer, and will even flower on duller days
• Gazania rigens 'Variegata' - an evergreen, variegated perennial to 25cm. Flowers are yellow or orange and leaves dark green edged with yellow and cream