The daisy family, known as Asteraceae, contains approximately 1 300 genera and over 21 00 species. It’s easy to understand why they remain perennial gardening favourites – they are very easy to grow and can always be relied on to provide a vibrant show of colour in late winter, spring and summer.

Here are four of the most popular daisy types:

• Marguerites are the traditional daisy bushes that most of us have known since childhood. They produce single or double daisy flowers in shades of pink, yellow, purple and white. They are fairly hardy and are easy to propagate from cuttings.
• Brachycomes are dainty daisy varieties that are native to Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea. Most are available in shades of white, blue, pink and purple, with a yellow centre.
  
• Osteospermum (Cape daisies) are indigenous to southern Africa. For best results, they should be planted in full sun, as they need sunlight to open fully during the daytime, before closing again at sunset. In the wild, osteospermum are typically white, purple and mauve, but hydridisation has created copper, yellow, orange and even brown varieties.
• Arctotis (African daisies) create carpets of colour all along the west coast of southern Africa from late winter until early spring.