Houzz Call: What’s Your Favorite Backyard Beauty?

“Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.” — Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway

The first time I went grocery shopping after moving out on my own, my impulse buy was a bundle of daisies. When I was a little girl, my parents had always told me that lawn daisies were “just weeds.” That never stopped me from crying every time the gardener mowed away my favorite flower. And maybe because this flower is considered garden garbage or too ordinary, no one except for myself would ever buy me my daisies. There were always roses from boyfriends or tulips from family, but never any daisies.

Later, when I was planning my wedding, I told the florist truthfully, “I just want to be surrounded by daisies. For the rest of my life.” I paid for those flowers as well.

And thank God some daisies are lawn flowers, because my two brown thumbs seem to kill every herb, shrub and houseplant I’ve ever tried to grow myself. I wish this field were my front lawn. It would be my perfect place to lay out in the summer sun with a good book in one hand and a cocktail in the other.


My husband was the first person to give me a gift of daisies. It was just after our first date, and I still have the card he sent along with it, which reads, “A beautiful woman never buys the flowers herself.”

Most recently he bought me four buckets of Blue Eyed Beauty, or Osteospermum, a kind of African daisy that now borders our front lawn. As with the garden pathway pictured here, it makes a beautiful entrance to the home we worked so hard to build together.


Since I have brown thumbs and cry when daisies die (our planter box of gerbera died not too long ago, and I had a little funeral), we not only read all of the instructions and buy all of the recommended materials, but we have timers and alarms to alert us about watering, feeding and mulch maintenance.

It’s been about two weeks, and our Blue Eyed Beauties are still winking at us.


One of the nice things about daisy plants is that pruning is recommended. So now I don’t have to buy flowers for the table anymore, assuming I take care of the ones in my front yard.

But I like the idea of celebrating the outside indoors with a little bit of artwork, as in the photo above or the bathtub backsplash pictured below. The designs are subtle yet lively, and these flowers will never wilt or wither.


I don’t know what it is about daisies, why I want to be surrounded by them constantly. I think there’s something so beautiful in the ordinary, everyday-ness about them. They’re not fancy, and they’re not that high maintenance. Plus, they’re kind of already everywhere.

Your Turn
Do you have a flourishing edible garden? Is your houseplant like a member of the family? Maybe your lawn is your pride and joy. Or maybe you just like to decorate your desk with flowers from the supermarket.

Homeowners: Whether they’re indoors, outdoors or balanced on your windowsill, we want to see your bloomin’ beauties. And please help your brown-thumbed Houzzers: Share any tips and tricks you’ve learned about them.

Professionals: Do you have a favorite plant that you like to use or often recommend for clients’ gardens? Do you have any quick advice to give Houzz users on successful garden growth?

More:
Enjoy Your Summer Garden — Here’s What to Do in July
How to Grow Your Own Cocktail Garden

URL: Houzz Call: What’s Your Favorite Backyard Beauty? http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-26423.html