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Marguerite daisies are a sure sign that spring is here

March 26, 2026

Here are five things to in the garden this week:

Fruit. When shopping for fruit trees, avoid those with fruit. Yes, it’s nice to see a tree planted in the backyard that immediately displays a crop, but fruit formation in the container could have been the result of stress from which it will take the tree several years to recover. It’s better to buy a well-shaped tree with symmetrical scaffold branches on two or three sides. Pay attention to the base of the trunk and make sure you do not see a thick twisted or winding root at the soil level. This is an indication that the plant is root bound, a condition from which it may never recover as growth of your tree will be stunted and crops will be small.

Vegetables. A recent heat wave is a good argument for starting vegetables, even in early spring, with protective floating row cover. You will want to use light (0.5-0.9 oz.) fabric. 90% of sunlight passes through it but heat is not trapped inside. Ideally, you build a tunnel with hoops so the fabric does not touch your plants. Once plants are established, the fabric can be removed. If you start planting vegetables in late spring or summer, shade cloth is a recommended protective covering until plants are firmly established.

Herbs. Cuban oregano (Coleus amboinicus) is one of the easiest plants to grow. Leaves are covered with fine hairs, imparting considerable drought tolerance. Foliage on this semi-succulent is an appealing light green with tooted margins. This plant is indigenous to tropical Africa although it is famously used in Caribbean and Asian cuisine. Leaves emit a powerful lemony menthol fragrance and they should be used sparingly, as opposed to common oregano. Leaves are used to flavor meat, soups, and stews and may also be added to salsas or steeped in hot water for tea.

Flowers. Nothing says spring is here like Margeurite daisies (Argyranthemum frutescens). You can find their perfect mounds in white, sulfur yellow, blushing pink and ruby red. These perennials will provide color on and off throughout the year as long as they are moderately pruned after each flush of flowers. They look good for up to five years, but after this period of time lose most of their flowering capacity. Ruby Slippers is a highly gratifying variety due to its especially long bloom period and flowers that change color from burgundy to scarlet to rose.

Fertilization. If you keep a mulch several inches thick around your plants at all times, you will probably never need to fertilize. However, if you have not yet jumped onto the mulching bandwagon, you can identify plants in need of mineral nutrition by the color of their leaves. If new growth is pale green, they need nitrogen. If leaves are yellow with green veins, they need iron. The safest fertilizers to apply are organic, low analysis (the three numbers representing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are all single digits), or slow-release pellets. By using any of these products, the likelihood of burning your plants is small.

Orange County Register

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Marguerite daisies are a sure sign that spring is here

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