How Do I Choose the Best Daisies?

To choose the best daisies for any occasion, think of their color as well as their size. Daisies are available in many different varieties and colors. When growing this flower, look for a variety that best suits your soil and the amount of sun your garden typically gets. If you grow other flowers, you may want to choose a daisy variety that will combine attractively with them in flower arrangements or bouquets.

For instance, the large, bold and colorful appearance of the gerbera daisy can often be beautifully showcased in an arrangement of all-white daisies. Tasteful monochromatic, or one color, flower arrangements can be created by using a daisy variety and another flower in the same hue. For example, a rose and daisy bouquet combination in pink can create a sweet, cheerful look. You may also want to add a third flower, in a smaller size but of a darker pink, to add depth and interest to the floral color scheme.

Growing the Shasta daisy with its low watering needs may be a good choice as long as your planting area has full sun. Developed by horticulturist Luther Burbank and named for California's Mount Shasta, this daisy variety is the classic look of white petals around an orange center and makes a great ground cover or flower bed border. For daisies with large, white-petaled flower heads, the Marguerite type can work well, but it also requires full sun.

If you'd rather have an all-yellow daisy and are able to plant in a rock garden, planter or garden with well-drained soil, the Euroyps variety can be a great choice. The Euroyps, or African yellow daisy, usually thrives in planters on sunny decks or balconies as long as you add a layer of rocks on the bottom for drainage. Euroyps daisies are known to tolerate salt air well, so this variety can be ideal if you live in a coastal area.

For showy drama and bright spots of color in your garden, the gerbera can be ideal. They are also usually a good choice for window boxes and borders along flower beds. In addition to red, pink, purple, orange and yellow, gerbera daisies are also available in interesting versions that feature different colored petals. Bouquets of cut gerbera daisies can make perfect hostess or get well soon gifts due to their bright and cheerful appearance.