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Gerbera daisies are susceptible to fungal diseases, although older varieties less so. Fungal sprays do not generally prevent crown rot, so correct planting and watering are essential for gerbera daisy care. Make sure you plant them with adequate spacing and in high light areas. A little bit of light shade in high summer is alright, but without full, direct light the plants will get leggy and pale and not produce nearly as many blooms. Water in the morning so leaves can dry out during the day to lessen the risk of rot and fungal diseases. Gerbera daisy care can also be enhanced by using a micro-nutrient liquid fertilizer such as a seaweed or fish emulsion. Keep an eye out for caterpillars and leaf miners too. Spray, if needed, with an organic spray such as pyrethrum or neem oil. Growing gerbera daisies can have some challenges, but it is a wonderful reward when those big, happy flowers bloom.

Light: Does best in full sun but quite well in partial shade. It becomes leggy in shade.Moisture: Once established, firebush is drought tolerant, but it does best with frequent watering as long as the soil has excellent drainage. Water weekly during the first year after transplanting.Hardiness: USDA Zones 8 – 11. Firebush is like coral bean: it is a semi-woody shrub or small tree in zones 10-11, and a perennial that dies to the ground in winter and sprouts back in spring in zones 8-9. Firebush also is grown as an annual or a potted plant in colder zones.Propagation: Propagate by soft wood cuttings in spring or by seed.

Hamelia patens is an evergreen shrub, usually growing 1.8 – 3 metres tall, though sometimes becoming a tree up to 5 metres tall with a short bole around 8cm in diameter[

Select a site with full sun and well-drained soil. Hibiscus also adapt well to growing in containers.

Plant in spring, summer, or fall, spacing plants 3 to 6 feet apart. Dig a hole only as deep as the root ball and 2 to 3 times as wide. If your soil is in very poor condition, amend the soil you’ve removed from the hole with a small amount of compost. Otherwise don’t amend it at all. Carefully remove the plant from the container and set it in the hole. Fill the hole half full with soil, then water it well to settle the soil and eliminate air pockets. Let the water drain, then fill the remainder of hole with soil and water thoroughly.

Hibiscus require at least 1 inch of rain (or equivalent watering) each week. They like to be constantly moist, but not wet. Feed twice a month during the growing season and prune as necessary to control plant size and cut back errant branches. Cut branches back to just above a side shoot. Hibiscus are sensitive to cold and should be protected when temperatures dip into the 30s; container-grown plants should be brought indoors