Gerberas’ large daisy flowers add cheery colour to any space. They have a long flowering period, usually all through summer and into early autumn, so an easy way to add colour to your garden or balcony. Choose from pink, yellow, purple or orange – or mix them up for a riot of colour. 

Gerberas come from South Africa, where they bask in hot sun and mostly dry weather. We may not have South African weather in the UK but you can make gerberas happy by planting them in full sun and sheltering them from heavy rain. They like their soil to stay moist, but make sure excess water can drain off as they don’t like being waterlogged. Water the soil rather than pouring it over the plant. The flowers are fragile and you wouldn’t want to break them.

Gerberas are great for indoor flower arrangements. Cut flowers off whenever you like and they’ll be replaced with new ones. Wilted flowers should also be removed to make way for new ones (this is called deadheading). It’s a good idea to feed once every few weeks in spring and summer. No need for more than that.

Not all gerberas survive cold winters but this one should. If possible, put it somewhere sheltered so it doesn’t get waterlogged by heavy rain or snow. Then move it back into full sun in spring and wait for the return of those flowers. 

Did you know?

The gerbera is the fifth most popular cut flower in the world. The only flowers used more are rose, carnation, chrysanthemum and tulip.