Leucanthemum ‘Hazel’s Dream’
The daisy has always been appreciated for its simple shape, colour and petal
arrangement. Whether it is the modest daisy of our lawns, the wild ox-eye daisy of
our roadsides or the impressive Shasta daisy of our gardens, their appeal is
perennial and universal.
Leucanthemun x superbum, the Shasta daisy, surely the pinnacle of beauty and
perfection in the daisy world, was bred in California by Luther Burbank over a
century ago and combined the best of our own native oxeye daisy, the English field
daisy and the Portuguese field daisy to produce an easy, obliging and very popular
garden plant. He named it for the snow-capped Mount Shasta of Northern California.
Over the years, plant breeders have given us new cultivars and ‘Hazel’s Dream’ from
Kilmurry Nursery in Co Wexford is especially beautiful. The bright yellow centre is
surrounded by a semi-double ring of sparklingly white petals that flutter beautifully in
the slightest breeze. It is perfectly hardy, a little over a metre in height,
attractive to butterflies and bees and easily propagated by division. It’s an excellent garden plant,
looking particularly well in a white garden, and is a good mixer in a border.
The eponymous Hazel is Paul and Orla Woods’ daughter and now part of the team
at Kilmurry Nursery.
(As appeared in Newsletter 153, September 2021. Text and photo courtesy of Paddy Tobin)
