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ARMADILLOS by Anna Haller
Oxford Eagle - July 10 2016
Ever wonder what formed those cone-shaped divots in your lawn? It wasn’t a robin after an early worm, nor a squirrel rummaging for acorns; it was probably an armadillo, known locally as possum on the half shell, or in the Lone Star state as a Texas speed bump.
These curious-looking critters are exclusive to the Americas, and are the lone survivors of an extinct family of armored mammals called glyptodonts. Armadillo is Spanish for “little armored one”. (The Aztecs called them “turtle-rabbits”.) They are part of a zoological classification, which includes anteaters and sloths. They come in numerous species, all stuck in South America until the Panama Isthmus formed, allowing their northward migration. Armadillos crossed the Rio Grande a long time ago, and more recently the Mississippi.
Our local species is the nine-banded armadillo found mainly in Texas and the south central states, but now spreading eastward to South Carolina and Florida and as far north as Nebraska and central Indiana. Their range is constantly expanding due to a dearth of natural predators, or as former Missouri congressman William Todd Akin (R-Mo.) would say, ‘legitimate predators.’
Texan lore
An old joke goes like this: “Why did the chicken cross the road?” “To prove to the armadillo that it could be done.” But, according to prevailing theory, few armadillos actually get run over. Due to their jumping tendency when startled, they conk out when hitting a car’s undercarriage. (I said it was a theory.)
The skill set armadillos deployed in reaching these parts is their knack of river crossing. They have two techniques: one is by bloating themselves up and floating, the other, if the water is fairly shallow, by walking on the bottom. (They can hold their breath for five minutes.)
Resourceful Texans have turned their penchant for armadillos into moneymaking ventures. One popular event features armadillo races. These races have strict rules. One rule is you can’t touch the armadillo. But to make your armadillo speed up you are allowed to blow on its tail. A popular prize for the winner is a small vial of armadillo milk. When one breeder was asked how you milk an armadillo, he said, “With tweezers.”
Armadillo facts
Since armadillos have extremely poor eyesight they have to rely on their keen sense of smell to locate their food. They use their claws to dig and find food, which consists of insects, worms and even small frogs and snakes. They have stubby, powerful legs along with strong claws and will dig numerous burrows and bolt holes interlinked with a network of tunnels. They probe the ground and rotting trees for grubs. When you see a newly planted shrub dug up, it is probably because the armadillo was lured to the grubs and worms that are attracted to the mulch and compost that you used in planting the shrub.
Armadillos are one of the few natural enemies of the wicked fire ant. They have been known to dig into fire-ant mounds during droughts when other insects are hard to find.
The armadillo burrow is a single corridor the width of its body, perfect for birthing. Gestation takes from 60 to 150 days, since the nine-banded armadillo can postpone uterine implantation until environmental conditions are favorable. She has only one fertilized egg, but, remarkably, during embryo genesis four identical progeny will develop. (Her litter will be all male or all females.) They’ll be born with open eyes and soft leathery skin. The young can move about within a few hours and will remain with their mother during the spring and summer months. They are solitary varmints so as soon as her offspring mature she chucks them out. They will live to seven years in the wild and ten in captivity.
They are hard to get rid of when they choose your backyard to live in. Repellents (containing nontoxic ingredients like caster oil, limestone, red pepper) are available but you have to repeatedly apply them. Alternatively, if you live in the county, a standard velocity .22 LR is said to be plenty adequate for an act of extreme prejudice, though the Washington Post reported a year ago that an East Texas man ended up in the hospital after he fired at an armadillo and the bullet bounced off the animal’s back and hit him in his face.
You could also trap them. A no-kill wooden trap can be purchased (thearmadillotrap@gmail.com), but then where do you dump your live captives? Amazingly, they can scale fences so they’d never be homeless for long.
Armadillos and leprosy
(Trigger warning: disturbing content follows!) Because armadillos are among the few known animals that can contract leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) they are often used in scientific medical research. Unfortunately, handling armadillos or eating armadillo meat can infect humans. Leprosy was unknown in the pre-Columbian Americas so armadillos acquired the disease from settlers. On the bright side, while leprosy is not exactly a fun disease, these days it is easy to cure. On the other hand, armadillos are a natural reservoir for Chagas disease (but so are raccoons and opossums), which, 30 years after contracting, it will cause heart disease in 20 percent of victims. Chagas disease (also called American typanosomiasis) is more often spread through an insect called a “kissing bug” (or “assassin bug”) and is rare in the U.S. but common south of here among poor folk.
Tame armadillos
Because there were never any armadillos in the old world, they missed out being mentioned in the world’s great literature. Rudyard Kipling, after a speaking tour of North America, did concoct a little-read story about the origin of the armadillo. They were not around in Mississippi at the time local wordsmith William Faulkner was putting pen to paper, but he might have had a field day with sinister Snopesian schemes to eradicate them, or make a buck out of them.
Nor are they mentioned in the Bible. But would they be kosher, you ask. Based on a Levitical ban on anteaters (close relatives of our friend) and another on burrow dwellers, armadillos would never grace a kosher table.
Walt Disney featured the critter in “Pluto and the Armadillo” (1943), wherein Mickey and Pluto travel to South America and Pluto plays with a rolled-up armadillo thinking it a ball. Later they become friends, naturally.
On a less literary note, armadillos can be housebroken, but who would want one as a pet? My husband, that’s who. In the children’s section of Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, he would push the little kids aside and play for hours with the zoo’s tame armadillo.
Anna Haller is a local gardener. You can reach her at hallerraven@hotmail.com
Oxford Eagle - August 2013
Basil, The King of Herbs
By Anna Haller
History
Basil, an annual plant of the mint family has a long history. It probably first appeared in Africa and then spread to India where it is revered to this day. It has been cultivated for over 5000 years and written history of the herb began 4,000 years ago in Egypt where it was used as an embalming and preserving herb.
It is mentioned in the writings of both the Greek, Theophastrus around 300 BC, and Dioscurides. In Spain, during the Moorish occupation, an Arab agriculturist wrote a treatise in which he mentions many kinds of Basil used for medicine and cooking. In England basil was first written about in the 17th century and in American literature 100 years later.
In European lore basil was called “Satan’s herb” because it was thought to be poisonous (wrongly though) because it will not grow in the presence of rue which supposedly was the enemy of poisons. Those Europeans had strange notions.
The Hindus revered basil and considered it sacred and felt that it was the favorite herb of their gods and so they planted it around their temples and laid it with their dead. In the Christian tradition it was believed that basil was found to be growing over the original cross when that cross was discovered by Empress Helena of Greece. And today, because of that, basil is revered by the Greek Orthodox church.
Cultivars
Basil grows best in warm sub tropical and tropical climates And since it thrives well in hot and humid weather it is well suited to the South. Here in Oxford it is an annual but will often reseed if conditions are favorable.
Depending on the variety, of which there over 160, it can vary in height from a few inches to over 30 inches. As the plant matures a terminal spike of flowers appears which then produce seeds for next year. The buds and flowers are edible and have a more subtle flavor.
Of the many varieties, the Genovese or Mediterranean basil is the most recognizable and is used in most Italian dishes. This Mediterranean cultivar, which has a licorice or anise flavor is often called sweet basil and has light green leaves as opposed to the Asian basil which has large hairy stems and stalks with pink flowers, purple or red leaves and a stronger clove like flavor. There are also basils with cinnamon and lemon flavors.
Chefs recommend that basil should be used fresh in cooked recipes and added to the dish at the last possible moment because cooking quickly destroys the flavor. And if dried basil loses some of its distinctive flavor and that which remains tastes very different to fresh and has a sweet licorice hay like flavor.
It’s good for you
Health benefits are conferred by the essential oils in basil and scientific studies show that compounds in basil have potent anti-oxidants, anti-viral and anti-microbial properties. One such compound, zea-xanthin can be absorbed into the retinal macula lutea and helps filter harmful UV rays. Other studies suggest that this zea-xanthin, an anti-oxidant, can help protect eyes from age-related macular disease. It is also thought that basil has a potential use in treating cancer. In India it is used in treating diabetes. Lastly a 2009 study confirmed that extracts from basil are very toxic to mosquitoes.
Cultivation
So you say “How do I get me some of this miracle herb”
Well it is very easy to grow either in the garden of in a pot on your window sill. For the best results plant in full sun, in well drained but not dry soil. It can grown easily from seed or if you are impatient use transplants. With seed sow directly in the soil after the danger of frost is past about ¼ inch deep and when the seedlings are 2-3 inches tall thin to 18” to 24” apart. You can fertilize once or twice during the growing season with an all purpose fertilizer. And because it is the leaves that you want that liquid blue fertilizer will work just fine. Make sure that the soil is kept moist and pinch back the flowers (use the flowers in salads) until fall when you can let basil run to seed and with luck it will germinate next year.
Culinary Uses
To use basil simply pluck the leaves as you need them, but for drying or using for pesto or basil vinegar harvest before the flower buds open.
Basil is often used in pizza and in Italian and Greek dishes but the Chinese use basil in soups and deep fry the leaves along with chicken. The Thais steep basil in cream or milk to create an interesting flavor of ice cream or chocolates such truffles. One of the most famous Italian recipes using basil is Pesto, which is a combination of fresh basil, salt and pepper along with garlic and pine nuts blended with olive oil. It is wonderful with French bread!!
Eagle Article -cSept 2015
Why Daffodils Matter
by Anna Haller, Master Gardener
It's fall and it's daffodil time¾daffodil-planting time, that is. Plant their bulbs now so their roots will gather strength before winter. More on that later.
Daffodils were called narcissus in Roman times. Narcissus was the guy¾a demigod¾who loved himself. (Not like anyone we know, of course.) He fell into a coma and died while pining for himself. Daffodils were long thought to be narcotic (coma inducing) and since the name seemed to fit, it was given to the plant by Pliny the Elder, the noble Roman who wrote the first encyclopedia.
Superstitions about daffodils
Even before that, the ancient Greeks associated daffodils with bad luck¾especially for chicken farmers. They said that if a single flower was brought indoors only one chick would hatch from a clutch of eggs. In Greek mythology, which may or may not be true, Persephone, seductively clad in white daffodils, was abducted by dirty old Hades and his touch turned all the flowers bright yellow. They called the flowers 'asphodel' (a Greek word¾ ἀσφόδελος¾ of Indo-Euro origin), which later, through slurring and strange accents, became daffodil. In some parts of Britain they were called daffadown dilly, but not for long.
The ancient Greeks and Romans were not the only ones holding wacky notions about daffodils. In Maine they believe pointing your finger at a daffodil in bud will stop it from flowering. (That should be easy to nullify.) Even sillier, Mainers think if the first flower that opens droops towards the observer, it forecasts nonstop misfortune for the rest of the year. Maybe they no longer believe this nonsense in the rock-bound state¾we haven't checked lately.
The species, being native to meadows and woods, became increasingly popular in Europe after the 16th century. By the 19th century they had become an important commercial crop in Holland, but never caused a daffodil mania. Today daffodils are popular as cut flowers and throughout their long history many thousands of cultivars have been developed.
Poison and medicine
Early writers were very much interested in the plant's medicinal properties and¾like Caesar Augustus's fiendish wife Livia¾its death-inducing qualities. The plant is totally poisonous. Daffodils produce toxic alkaloids. Some people are allergic to its sap. (My mother always planted daffodils separate from other spring bulbs because of the baleful qualities. And she would never put daffodils in the same vase with other flowers because they made the other flowers expire before their time).
On the good side, this lethal aspect has been exploited in traditional healing. Furthermore, the lethal substance, called 'galantamine,' is now used to treat Alzheimer's disease. Evolution produced galantamine for good reason. It defends the plant from grazing animals and microbial infection. Squirrels will not eat the bulbs. Nor will deer eat the flowers.
Galantamine was first extracted from the snowdrop in the early 1950’s after a Bulgarian pharmacologist saw villagers rubbing their forehead with the plant leaves and bulbs to get rid of headaches. In Wales, where the flower is a national symbol, vast acres of daffodils are cultivated for galantamine research.
Welsh symbol
You may ask why the daffodil is the national symbol of Wales. Well it is all because of a mix-up between two Welsh phrases. In the 6th century, a band of English soldiers, all dressed up like Welshman, threatened a Welsh village. The Welshmen pinned leeks (then the unofficial national plant) to their hats to differentiate themselves from the English. The Welsh word for leek was Cenhinen and for daffodil it was Cenhinen Pedr¾not much difference, so the confusion was forgivable. If you see a portrait of St. David, the patron saint of Wales, you will notice there are always daffodils somewhere in the picture. David's best-known miracle was causing a small hill to rise up where he was preaching. But as one wag asked: "Why did Wales needed another hill?"
Going eastward from Wales, in England Daffodils are known as the Lent Lily. This is odd because the timing of Lent varies with the cycles of the moon. Some years the daffs will be long gone before Lent starts. That this has never argued in favor of standardizing the timing of Lent is a liturgical mystery.
Wordsworth's famous 1815 daffodil poem ("I wandered lonely as a cloud....When all at once I saw....A host of golden daffodils") unites a pastoral poet's fealty toward daffodils with avant-garde computing technology. The Lake District poet underscores his theme's present day relevance with his resonating final line¾"what wealth the show [i.e. the golden daffodils] to me had brought,"¾alluding, obviously, to the benefits of a digital cloud, according to the loftiest and most comprehensive deconstruction literary analysis.
As you contemplate buying daffodils, try to find the earliest bloomers. Why? Because early emerging bumblebee queens need to find pollen and nectar to feed their new brood of bee larvae (q.v. "The Resourceful Bumblebee" by Anna Haller, Oxford Eagle, May 22, 2015). Another hint¾if you plant the early flowering daffodils in the lawn their leaves will have finished their appointed task of restoring the bulbs for the next spring by the time that the lawn is mowed. This said, I personally prefer the daffodils with a short flowerscape because they look less ragged as they die down.
GETTING READY FOR SPRING
By Anna Haller, Master Gardener
Soon after English actor Michael Caine bought his first house in L.A., he stopped by a gardening shop and loaded up his car with a large number of plants. Experienced only with gardening in England, Caine asked the proprietor, “When should I put these in?” The proprietor told him: “When you get home.”
When I moved down here from Chicago I too had many things to learn about Mississippi gardening protocols. Chief among them was that the calendar is critical.
Spring is here and you’re dreaming your garden will replicate something you saw in Southern Living, so trundling over to a garden supplier, and wistfully staring at its enticing displays, you cross your fingers and start buying, yearning for horticultural triumphs.
The gardening calendar in Mississippi is year-round. Even our winters are rarely so cold that we want to hibernate like those poor souls up north. The sun shines all winter while you are outside wondering what spring will bring. If you are a hedge-fund mogul your landscape contractor will do it all. But if unblessed with a knack for Wall Street algorithms, the entire gardening assignment is yours. (But that’s not so bad—some people don’t even have gardens.)
The first thing on your agenda is your soil. If you didn’t plan or work your soil in the fall or winter, all is not lost. A soil test is available through Mississippi State Extension service and, the Master Gardeners of Oxford and Lafayette County will come to your garden and give you free advice as to what to plant and when and how. All you need to do is phone the Extension Office at 234-4451 to set up an appointment.
You may want perfect loam, but the odds are you have clay or sand; compost will help your clay soil drain better, or if sandy, retain moisture. Composting dates way back to Biblical times. Shakespeare mentions it: “And do not spread the compost on the weeds/To make them ranker” (Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4). The Puritans had a recipe for compost: 10 buckets muck, one bucket rotting fish, stir, let age. Today it’s much easier.
Mulch, which you put on the surface rather than mixing in, keeps clay soil cooler and stops sandy soil from drying out. Fertilizer, natural or otherwise will feed your plants and encourage them to grow more vigorously.
Local garden centers, as a rule, tend to stock that which is safely and easily grown around here. If buying by mail or on-line you will need to check for hardiness in our planting zone. (We are zone 7.) Also check for heat tolerance, if possible, because a lot of plants can’t take our summer temperatures. Checking the tags that come with plants and heeding the planting instructions is a good a good way to go.
Perennials, shrubs and trees should give several years of enjoyment so choose a planting site carefully. When putting in trees and shrubs, digging a wide hole is recommended, but dig the hole only as deep as the plant container. Mixing the back-fill soil with some compost will encourage the roots to grow. After planting, tamp the soil, water and mulch the plant.
Annuals are a one-shot deal but can nonetheless add charm and color to the garden. Encourage them to grow and spread by giving them some compost or soil conditioner and fertilizer worked into the soil. Annuals look better massed but give them some spreading room when they are planted because with the optimum conditions that you have provided they will surely grow to fill the space and then some.
But you say “I don’t have a green thumb. Nothing grows for me.” My reply is “Yes Virginia, there are flowers that flourish without a gardener’s art.” Without fail, zinnias and lantana, will grow in a sunny spot and impatience and hostas in the shade. With luck zinnias will reseed and grow again next summer. Hostas are perennial and will return year after year and get larger. Fortunately zinnias and lantana are not browsed by deer, but not so with hostas, they are deer candy.
Some ostensible local issues aren’t really that bad: A doe chomping on your
lawn may be merely eating weeds. (They don’t eat grass.) When she nibbles your azaleas and roses she’s pruning, though not exactly how you might like. And as for that armadillo’s cone-shaped holes, or the dug-up flowers, tell yourself it’s nature’s pest control. The armadillo is rooting for grubs that are simultaneously chomping away on the flower’s roots. Lastly, think of snakes as small critter-control.
“Earth laughs in flowers,” said Emerson (Hamatreya).
The Lafayette County Master Gardeners is a service organization that provides assistance to the Lafayette County Extension Service. Master Gardeners receive university-based training and are required to sustain their training and service activities each year. To arrange for a free consultation with a Master Gardener about your gardening challenges, call the Lafayette County Extension office at 234-4451. Please see our Website: Lcmga.org.
Hydrangeas not blooming - from Southern LivinG
If you're among those unhappy folks, relax, when hydrangeas don't bloom (about all types of hydrangeas here), it's almost always due to one or more of the following reasons.:
1. You pruned at the wrong time.
2. Your hydrangea isn't getting enough sun.
3. The flower buds were killed by a late winter freeze.
4. Your hydrangea doesn't like where it's growing.
5. Your hydrangea hasn't bloomed yet this year, but it will.
Consider the main classes of popular hydrangeas (French, smooth, panicle, and oakleaf) and see how these 5 factors relate to each.
When They Bloom: Older, once-blooming selections like 'Nikko Blue', bloom for 6 to 8 weeks, starting anywhere from late spring to midsummer, depending on your location and the selection. Newer, repeat-blooming types ('Endless Summer,' 'Forever & Ever,' 'Mini-Penny,' 'Twist n Shout,' 'Let's Dance') bloom repeatedly from spring until fall if they're happy, well-watered, and actively growing.
How Much Light: They bloom best if given sun in the morning and a little light shade in the afternoon, particularly during the hot summer. If you plant them in all-day shade, they won't bloom.
How Much Water: French hydrangeas are water hogs. Due to the huge amount of water transpired by their large leaves during hot weather, they wilt in a flash. You may have to water them as often as every other day in the South in summer if it doesn't rain. Repeat-bloomers will not repeat bloom if they go dry. Obviously, French hydrangeas are not good plants for low-rainfall areas.
What Kind of Soil: Rich, fertile, well-drained soil containing lots of organic matter to retain soil moisture. Acid soil (below pH 7) gives blue or purple flowers. Alkaline soil (above pH 7) gives pink or red blooms. White French hydrangeas stay white no matter the pH.
Where Not to Plant: Don't plant in poor, rocky, dry soil. Don't plant at the foot of big shade trees that compete with them for water and nutrients.
When to Prune: Once-blooming types flower from buds made last year. If these buds are killed by a late freeze or cut off by mistake, you don't get blooms. So prune the once-bloomers very lightly. Remove any dead growth in early spring. Shorten live branches only in summer immediately after the blooms fade. Repeat-bloomers, on the other hand, bloom on buds made last year and the current year. So even if a freeze killed last year's buds or you pruned the plant to the ground this spring, they'll still make new flowers this year. Just remove old blooms as they fade.
Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
Native to the South, smooth hydrangeas are less fussy, more cold-hardy, and easier to grow than the French. 'Annabelle' is the most popular selection because of its huge white flowers. New pink-flowering types, such as 'Bella Anna' and 'Invincibelle Spirit,' are now heavily promoted.
When They Bloom: About the same time as the French. They'll bloom later if pruned in spring.
How Much Light: They take more sun than the French, but morning sun and light, afternoon shade in the South is still a good rule.
How Much Water: They prefer moist soil, but don't need as much water as the French.
What Kind of Soil: Fertile, well-drained; pH doesn't really matter, unless you live in a peat bog or lime pit.
Where Not to Plant: In full shade under big trees.
When to Prune: Smooth hydrangea blooms on new growth. Prune in winter or early spring. If you prune it back severely, you'll get massive flowers, but fewer of them. These big blooms may need support.
Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata)
Native to Japan and China, this is the toughest and most accommodating species described here and a great one for beginners. It tolerates heat, drought, full sun, and bitter cold. A most popular selection, is the treelike 'Pee Gee,' the crepe myrtle of the North. "Pee Gee' grows up to 20 feet tall, blooms in summer, and thrives all the way to Canada. 'Limelight' is a more compact, bushy plant growing 5 to 8 feet tall with upright blooms that age from whitish-green to pink, a new dwarf, 'Bobo,' tops out at 3 feet.
When They Bloom: Summer into early fall. The flowers of most turn from white to pink or rose as they age.
How Much Light: Full sun preferred.
How Much Water: Likes moist soil, but tolerates drought. Needs much less water than French.
What Kind of Soil: Well-drained.
Where Not to Plant: Shade (it won't bloom)
When to Prune: Blooms on new growth. Prune in winter or early spring.
Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
Native to the Southeast, this is a unique hydrangea in several ways. It likes shade and will even bloom in the woods. It's the earliest to bloom of the species described here. Its oak-shaped leaves turn red, orange, yellow, and burgundy in fall. And it's far easier to grow than the French. A favorite selection is 'Snowflake,' named by nurseryman Eddie Aldridge of Birmingham, Alabama. As each flower cluster ages, stacks of new florets open atop the old ones. The new ones open white, while the old ones turn rose, giving a beautiful bicolored effect. 'Snowflake' grows 7 to 8 feet tall. 'Pee Wee' is dwarf and only grows 3 to 4 feet tall.
When They Bloom: Usually start in mid-to late spring and continue into early summer.
How Much Light: Dappled sun to shade.
How Much Water: Does well in moist soil, but tolerates drought very well.
What Kind of Soil: Well-drained, acid soil containing lots of organic matter.
Where Not to Plant: Full sun; near hot, paved surfaces; in alkaline soil (foliage turns yellow between the veins); in poorly drained, heavy soil.
When to Prune: Blooms on growth made the previous year. Seldom needs pruning, but if you must, do it in early summer.
Rain contains nitrates—an important macronutrient. Rainwater contains nitrate - the most bio-available form of nitrogen. Nitrogen is one of three key macro-nutrients that plants need to thrive--necessary for the development of lush foliage. Many forms of nitrogen are not actually absorbable by plants. Nitrates, which are made up of nitrogen and oxygen, are formulated by nature for maximum uptake by your plants. Plants typically absorb most of their nitrates from the soil. And where do those nitrates come from? Rain! And there is an added bonus if there is lightening which aids in nitrous oxide being released. So if your hydrangeas received a lot of rain during the dormant period the shrubs will put on a lot of leaves to the detriment of flowers.
Oxford Eagle - May 2018
MEMORABLE MARGUERITES
BY ANNA HALLER
Last fall, via a tempting mail-order offer, I acquired some plants called ‘marguerites’. Not knowing too much about these plants—except that they are a subspecies of daisy—and as the planting season was rapidly expiring, I planted them in a hurry at the edge of my raised bed. For the longest time, they just sat there in a forlorn state as if about to capitulate to an early demise. But an uncongenial winter failed to administer the finishing blow, and by mid-spring my marguerites were showing promise of living up to their advertised claims.
Their leaves are finely cut—almost fern-like—and silvery gray green; or sage-green in the afternoon light, changing to a rich grassy green after a rain.
Published authorities disagree about marguerites: The Southern Living Garden Guide says they are short-lived shrubby perennials which, in our zone 7, should be treated as annuals. On the other hand, the Mid South Gardening Guide characterizes them as hardy in the ground in our zone. I can only go by my own experience which is that my two little plants survived the nasty winter and bloomed commendably this spring. And they’ve effloresced continuously through the heavy early-spring rains and the succeeding heat wave and drought.
The plants are luxuriant with big (one-and-a-half inches) white daisies heads and bright gold centers. They are not unlike shasta daisies but more refined and more opulent. To prolong their performance I deadheaded mine when the white petals disappeared leaving just the big gold button. Mine are planted in part-sun, that is morning sun with some afternoon shade. I have been watering during this drought.
The marguerite’s botanical name is chrysanthemum frutescens or argyranthemum frutescens. They are also known as “Paris daisies.” Being part of the “mum” family means that they should be easily propagated, and in fact they are: I accidentally broke off a shoot at the base of the plant, pushed it into the surrounding soil, and it took. Incidentally, there are pink varieties and doubles, but I couldn’t say if these would be as hardy as my version of marguerites.
The gardening books say deer won’t eat marguerites, but they do munch on my chrysanthemum flower heads (though not the leaves—not that that helps any). So I’m not planting them where the deer can get to them.
I recommend this plant. Give it a try; maybe you’ll like it.