Brighten your patio, balcony, or small garden with the classic charm of daisies! Learn how to easily grow these delightful flowers in pots and enjoy their cheerful blooms all season long.

English Daisies, also known as common daisies or lawn daisies (Bellis perennis), are a garden favorite for their simple beauty and easy-going nature.¹ Perfect for adding a touch of cottage garden style, daisies thrive in containers, making them ideal for any sunny spot, big or small. This comprehensive guide provides everything you need to know to grow English daisies in pots outdoors, ensuring a season full of their iconic, happy blooms.

Daisies

What are English Daisies?

Bellis perennis, the English Daisy, is a low-growing herbaceous plant cherished for its:²

• Iconic Flowers: Classic daisy shape with a bright yellow center disc surrounded by delicate petals, typically white, but also available in pink and red varieties.³
• Compact Size: Reaching only 4-8 inches in height, they are perfectly proportioned for container gardening.⁴
• Extended Bloom Time: In cooler climates, daisies bloom from spring through fall, providing long-lasting color. In warmer areas like Singapore, expect a beautiful spring and early summer display.
• Low Maintenance: Daisies are incredibly easy to grow, making them a great choice for gardeners of all skill levels.
• Cottage Garden Appeal: Their simple, natural beauty embodies the relaxed charm of a cottage garden.

Why Choose Container Grown Daisies?

Growing daisies in pots offers numerous advantages:

• Perfect for Limited Spaces: Ideal for balconies, patios, decks, and small gardens where ground space is limited.
• Mobile and Versatile: Easily move pots to optimize sunlight, create decorative arrangements, or protect plants from extreme weather.
• Control Soil Conditions: Provide the perfect well-draining soil mix and manage watering and fertilization effectively.
• Design Flexibility: Use potted daisies as standalone features, group them for impact, or mix them with other container plants.
• Minimize Pests & Diseases: Containers can help reduce soil-borne pest and disease issues.
• Heat Protection: In hot climates, move pots to shadier locations to extend bloom time.

Creating the Perfect Growing Environment for Potted Daisies:

• Selecting Daisy Varieties:

  • Flower Color & Form: Choose from white, pink, red, single, semi-double, and double flower types to match your style.
  • Plant Size: Most Bellis perennis varieties are compact and suitable for pots.
  • Start from Seed or Plants: Seeds are easy to grow, or buy starter plants for quicker blooms.

• Light: Daisies thrive in full sun to partial shade.⁵

  • Sunlight Needs: At least 6 hours of direct sun is ideal, especially in cooler climates.
  • Afternoon Shade in Hot Climates: In Singapore, provide afternoon shade to prevent stress. Morning sun is excellent.
  • Bright Indirect Light: Dappled sunlight works well too. Too little sun reduces blooms.

• Soil: Well-draining, fertile, moisture-retentive potting mix is best.

  • Quality Potting Mix: Use a good container potting mix.
  • Amendments: Mix in compost, well-rotted manure, peat moss/coco coir, and perlite/vermiculite for drainage and fertility.
  • pH: Slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.0-7.0) is preferred.

• Watering: Maintain consistently moist soil, but avoid waterlogging.⁶

  • Water When Top Inch is Dry: Water thoroughly when the top inch of soil feels slightly dry.
  • Deep Watering: Water deeply until water drains from the pot. Let the topsoil slightly dry between waterings.
  • Avoid Extremes: Prevent both overwatering (root rot) and complete drying out (stress).
  • Climate Adjustment: Water more in heat and less in cooler, cloudy weather. Monitor soil moisture in humid Singapore, avoiding waterlogged pots.

• Temperature: Daisies are cool-season lovers, preferring 60-70°F (15-21°C).

  • Cooler is Better: They thrive in moderate temperatures and may struggle in intense heat.⁷
  • Singapore Considerations: Bloom best in cooler periods of the year. Afternoon shade is beneficial.
  • Frost Tolerance: Hardy to light frosts, but protect container plants from prolonged freezing.

• Humidity: Moderate humidity is ideal.

  • Air Circulation: Good air circulation is important to prevent fungal issues, especially in humid climates like Singapore. Space pots apart.

• Fertilizing: Daisies are light feeders.

  • Light Feeding: Fertilize sparingly every 4-6 weeks during spring/early summer bloom season.
  • Balanced Fertilizer: Use diluted balanced liquid fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10 or 20-20-20) or flowering annual fertilizer.
  • Avoid Over-Fertilizing: Too much fertilizer reduces blooms. Compost amendment at planting is helpful.

Choosing the Right Flower Pots:

• Pot Types: Drainage is key.

  • Terracotta: Excellent drainage, classic look, smaller sizes ideal.
  • Ceramic: Decorative and functional, ensure drainage holes.⁸
  • Resin: Durable, lightweight, various styles.
  • Plastic: Economical, lightweight, ensure drainage and avoid overwatering.

• Drainage: Essential for healthy daisies. Ensure drainage holes. Drainage layers generally not needed with good potting mix and pots with holes. Elevate pots for airflow.

• Pot Size: Daisies are compact, so pots don’t need to be large.⁹

  • Individual Daisy: 6-8 inches diameter and depth.
  • Small Group: 10-14 inches diameter and depth.
  • Massed Planting: 16-20 inches or larger.
  • Depth: Minimum 6-8 inches, ideally 8-10 inches deep.

• Stability: Generally not a concern, but heavier pots (terracotta, ceramic) add stability, especially in wind or for larger displays.

• Pot Color & Style: Choose pots that complement the cheerful daisy flowers and your style. Bright, pastel, terracotta, or whimsical pots enhance cottage charm.

Essential Daisy Care Tips for Pots:

• Watering: Keep soil moist, avoid soggy or dry extremes.¹⁰
• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade (afternoon shade in hot climates).
• Fertilizing: Lightly fertilize every 4-6 weeks during bloom season.
• Deadheading: Remove faded flowers to encourage more blooms.
• Pest & Disease Control: Low maintenance, monitor for pests, ensure good air circulation.
• Heat Protection: In hot climates, move pots to cooler locations.

Popular Daisy Cultivars for Pots:

• Single White: ‘Bellissima White’, ‘Super Enorma White’, ‘Tasso White’
• Double White: ‘Bellisima Series’, ‘Pomponette White’, ‘Snowball’¹¹
• Pink: ‘Bellissima Rose’, ‘Bellissima Pink’, ‘Habanera Pink’, ‘Pomponette Pink’
• Red: ‘Bellissima Red’, ‘Rominette Red’, ‘Tasso Red’
• Mixed Colors: Look for seed mixes for a variety of colors and forms.

In Summary:

Growing daisies in outdoor pots is a simple and delightful way to add cheerful color to your outdoor living spaces. Their ease of care, long bloom season, and classic beauty make them perfect for container gardening. By providing the right sunlight, well-draining soil, consistent moisture, and light fertilization, you can easily enjoy a profusion of happy daisy blooms in pots all season long!

Daisies

For more botanical information and to explore the world of English Daisies, visit the Wikipedia page on Bellis perennis.

Important Note: Daisies are very easy to grow in pots! Just remember to provide sunshine, keep the soil moist, and deadhead spent flowers for continuous blooms. Enjoy the simple beauty of these classic cottage garden favorites!**