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Mobea · Mar 6, 2008, 07:42 PM

I have never gardened before so I really don't have a clue. Complete dummy when it comes to gardening. I have a little space in front of my house that is about 4'X3'. It's at the same level as my sidewalk and driveway. I bought 4 daisies in planters. How do I prepare the soil? How far down do I have to dig? I don't know if there is more than 4" of dirt in this spot if I dig down that far. It's more like a little spot where you would place a birdbath or fountain. Do I have to build up this area with more dirt? I have a little white picket fence that I want to surround it with. Can I just add a bag of top soil and plant the plants in there like that? The girl at the Lowes said that I need to dig down about 16" (twice the size as the planter). Is that true? If it is, then these flowers won't work in this little area, right? And how far are these flowers going to spread? If I can't plant them where I want, I have about a 10' space in front of my house that I could dig down that deep and mix the soil with topsoil. Would 4 be enough to grow and still look okay? Could someone give me an A,B,C,or D, plan. I live in SE TX and they will get a lot of direct sunlight. Thanks, if someone answers my garden questions, then I'll try to answer any tax questions for them!

twinkiedooter · Mar 7, 2008, 11:45 AM

The original spot where you want these sounds okay to plant the daisys in. I have shasta daisies right up against my house. Since you are buying plants and planting the new plants you can properly space your new plants. They should be at last 12-16" apart for each plant. They do tend to grow high to about 3' though so keep that in mind as well.

You only have to put the topsoil on the top of your existing soil and mix it thoroughly with a trowel. I would only dig down as far as the trowel will go - say about 4-5". This is more than enough for your needs. Digging down any further is just a waste of your time.

When you plant the new plants, dig a hole deep enough to put the rootball in the hole and have the top of the rootball at the existing ground level. Pack the soil around the root ball and tamp down any loose dirt around the base of the plant. Be sure to water in the new plants very good with water. Also, until these daisys start growing, be sure to water every other day enough to give them a good drink so to speak. Don't overwater. Once the daisys start to grow, then only water twice a week. These plants will bloom all summer long for you. Once they bloom, be sure to cut the new flower off while it is fresh and make a vasefull for your home. You will have more blooms come back within a week or so from little sprouts on the stem. I have my daisys all summer long bloom for me this way. In the fall, I let the plant just die off on it's own. I then trim the stems to about 4" from the ground line to over winter the plant. The daisys are in the chrysynthamum family and will come back every year for you with new blooms. In the springtime you can take your fingers and gently break off the old dead stems once the new shoots are coming back at ground level.

Enjoy your new plants for years to come. I've had mine for 5 years now in the same spot and they do just great. Be sure you pick a really sunny spot for them as they love the sun.

Mobea · Mar 7, 2008, 11:52 AM

Oh thank you so much!! I really was hoping to plant them where I wanted. I just love the look of these daisies. They make me smile every time I look at them. I heard that they will attract hummingbirds too, is that true?

twinkiedooter · Mar 12, 2008, 07:48 AM

I don't know about the hummingbirds but I do know that butterflys come and land on mine in the summertime. You might want to plant some Canna bulbs as my canna bulbs attract hummingbirds. The only thing about the Cannas is they get very tall but are very striking to put at the back of a flowerbed. They keep coming up year after year also so they are a good investment for your yard. They come in many lovely colors also.