English Daisy Galaxy Mix

Ready to flower heavily over a long season (then rest and do it again!), Galaxy is the hardest-working English Daisy we have ever grown. Its 3 bright colors -- white, rosy pink, and rich red -- all sport a merry yellow eye and double the petals of most others, and whether you cut them for the vase or enjoy them in garden or container, they are very long-lasting and weather-tough. And once you plant Galaxy, it will obligingly self-sow for countless seasons to come!

This biennial needs no cold period to flower, so you can begin the seeds indoors in winter for spring blooms. (From sowing to blooming takes only 12 to 14 weeks!) And such blooms they are -- just 1½ inches wide, but full of color and life on strong stems. Galaxy is a dwarf variety, the plant reaching just about 8 inches high and wide, but it is the most floriferous, repeat-flowering all season if cut or deadheaded promptly. In cool climates the blooms continue into early summer, then rest during the hottest months and revive for a long autumn show. In warmer areas, it will bloom from fall through winter, even sometimes extending into spring!

Best in a protected area receiving full sun to partial shade, Galaxy is ideal for containers as well as the garden. It grows quickly, even in sandy and imperfect soils, and needs only deadheading to keep its show going. An excellent cutflower, it also makes a good choice for underplanting tulips and other spring-blooming bulbs. In the fall and winter, try it among your pansies and ornamental cabbage and kale. The perfect little pompons contrast beautifully with all the other textures and silhouettes in the cool-season garden!

Start the seed at 70 to 75 degrees F, placing it on top of your seed flat or bio sponge in the Bio Dome so it can receive light for germination. Expect to see sprouts in 1 to 2 weeks. Transplant as soon as the soil can be worked in spring. That's all there is to it! Zones 4-8. Pkt is 25 seeds.