Daisy
( Bellis perennis )

A member of the Asteraceae family, the Daisy is a perennial with a flat, spreading growth habit forming dense mats of rosettes in short grass and gravel. They spread around mainy by seed, tolerate constant cutting and can still flower . The oval basal leaves may be smooth or slightly hairy, and may or may not have a toothed edge. Usually they have a broad tip which narrows towards the base. Young leaves can be eaten in salads and there are a number of homeopathic remedies based on exracts from the whole plant. The compound flowers are white, or pink to red, with yellow disk-shaped centres and flowering is year round, even in the middle of winter. They are held on stalks about 3 to 10 cm long, depending on conditions.

If the infestation is sparse they can be individually weeded out using a hand fork to loosen the roots. They can be discouraged in the lawn by keeping it well fed encouraging the formation of a dense sward, so that the grasses out-compete the daisies. This is also helped by not cutting the grass too short and keeping the lawn well watered during dry spells. Chemical control is by a systemic herbicide like Glyphosate or with a selective type on the lawn, either as a weed-and-feed programmme or by spot application of the herbicide alone.