{"product_id":"mausummery-livingstone-daisy-seeds","title":"Mausummery Seeds — Livingstone Daisy (Mixed Colours)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMausummery\u003c\/strong\u003e is the flower that stops people on a winter morning walk — a low\ncarpet of glittering daisies in magenta, rose, apricot, orange, cream and white, every one with a bright\nyellow eye. Botanically it is \u003cem\u003eCleretum bellidiforme\u003c\/em\u003e (still widely sold as\n\u003cem\u003eMesembryanthemum criniflorum\u003c\/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003eDorotheanthus bellidiformis\u003c\/em\u003e), known in English as the\n\u003cstrong\u003eLivingstone Daisy\u003c\/strong\u003e or \u003cstrong\u003eIce Plant\u003c\/strong\u003e. The petals carry tiny crystalline cells that\ncatch the light, so the whole plant appears to sparkle in full sun. This is a mixed-colour pack — you get\nthe full range in one sowing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGrowing Guide for Pakistan\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSowing time:\u003c\/strong\u003e Punjab plains (Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan) October to November; Islamabad,\nRawalpindi and Peshawar late September to October; Karachi and coastal Sindh October to December; Murree, Swat\nand Quetta February to April.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMethod:\u003c\/strong\u003e The seed is very fine and \u003cstrong\u003eneeds light to germinate\u003c\/strong\u003e. Press it onto\ndamp, well-drained soil and leave it uncovered, or give it the barest dusting of fine sand. Never bury it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGermination:\u003c\/strong\u003e 14–21 days at around 15–18°C. Water with a spray, not a can,\nso the seed is not washed away.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Thin or transplant to 15–20 cm apart. Each plant spreads into a mat\n20–30 cm wide.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Only 10–15 cm tall — a carpet, not a border plant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlowering:\u003c\/strong\u003e February to April in the plains, running into May where springs stay cool.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSun and water:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun, and the more the better. Let the soil dry between waterings.\nMausummery is a succulent — it stores water in its leaves and rots in heavy, soggy ground.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy Mausummery suits Pakistani gardens so well\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost winter annuals want rich soil and steady moisture. This one wants the opposite. It comes from the dry\nCape of South Africa, and it is happiest in sandy, sharply drained soil with plenty of sun and not much\nattention. That makes it one of the few flowers that will thrive along a hot driveway edge, on a south-facing\nterrace, in a shallow pot, or on a dry bank where nothing else survives. It is genuinely drought tolerant once\nestablished, which in Lahore, Multan or Karachi is a real advantage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe one thing to know before you plant it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMausummery flowers only open in bright sunshine.\u003c\/strong\u003e On a cloudy day, or in shade, or in the\nlate afternoon, the blooms close up and the plant looks ordinary. This is normal and it is not a fault. Plant\nit somewhere you actually see at midday — the front strip of a lawn, a rooftop, a terrace, a pot by a\nsunny window — and it will reward you every clear day of a Pakistani winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhere it looks best\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePots and containers\u003c\/strong\u003e — the spreading habit spills beautifully over a terracotta rim.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBed edging\u003c\/strong\u003e — a low ribbon of colour in front of taller stock, antirrhinum or dianthus.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRockeries and dry banks\u003c\/strong\u003e — stony, poor soil is exactly what it wants.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRooftop gardens\u003c\/strong\u003e — tolerates heat, glare and shallow soil better than almost anything else.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy are my mausummery flowers closed?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThey open in direct sun and close in cloud, shade and evening. Give the plant at least five to six hours of\nunobstructed sunlight and they will open every clear day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I grow mausummery in pots?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nYes, and it is one of the best flowers for pots. Use a free-draining mix — garden soil with sand or coco\npeat added — and make sure the pot has drainage holes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow much water does it need?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nFar less than most winter flowers. Let the top few centimetres dry out between waterings. Overwatering is the\ncommonest way to lose this plant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it come back next year?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nIt is an annual, so the plant finishes with the spring heat. Let a few plants set seed and you will often get\nself-sown seedlings the following winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs mausummery the same as ice plant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nYes. Livingstone Daisy, Ice Plant, Mesembryanthemum and mausummery all refer to this same glittering annual.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNew to seed starting? Read \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/what-to-sow-september-pakistan\"\u003ewhat to sow in September in\nPakistan\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/why-seeds-not-germinating-pakistan\"\u003ewhy your seeds are not\ngerminating\u003c\/a\u003e first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGermination-tested in Lahore before it reaches you, from a seed house trading since 1932. Pairs beautifully\nwith alyssum, dianthus and phlox from our\n\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/winter-flowering-seeds\"\u003ewinter flowering seeds collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Garden by Channan Din","offers":[{"title":"Mix","offer_id":54442883547500,"sku":"THG-WIN-MSMY-MIX","price":250.0,"currency_code":"PKR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0941\/9053\/5020\/files\/mausummery-livingstone-daisy-seeds.jpg?v=1789763547","url":"https:\/\/thegardenpk.com\/products\/mausummery-livingstone-daisy-seeds","provider":"The Garden by Chanan Din","version":"1.0","type":"link"}