To extend the visual interest of your garden bed before and after African daisies (Osteospermum) reach their peak, select perennials with complementary bloom times. Lavender (Lavandula) is an excellent choice, as its drought tolerance and need for full sun mirror the requirements of African daisies. Its spiky, purple flowers provide a beautiful textural and color contrast, typically blooming from early summer. Similarly, the vertical spikes of Salvia, such as 'May Night' or 'Caradonna', offer striking blue or purple hues that make the vibrant daisies pop. For a softer texture, consider planting Catmint (Nepeta), which forms a low, mounding habit of grey-green foliage covered in delicate purple flowers, creating a lovely carpet around the base of the daisies.
Incorporating certain herbs can significantly enhance the garden ecosystem surrounding your African daisies. Rosemary is a powerhouse companion; its strong, aromatic foliage is known to repel a variety of common insect pests, including carrot flies and cabbage moths, with its scent masking the presence of more vulnerable plants. Furthermore, its upright, woody structure provides light support and contrast. Thyme, particularly creeping varieties, serves as a superb living mulch. Planted as a ground cover, it helps suppress weeds, retain soil moisture, and its tiny flowers attract beneficial pollinators and predatory insects that help control aphid populations.
The bold, daisy-shaped flowers of Osteospermum benefit greatly from the addition of ornamental grasses, which introduce movement, sound, and a contrasting form. The fine, wispy texture of Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca) provides a stunning silvery-blue cushion that highlights the daisies' vibrant petals. For a larger statement, Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) offers graceful, arching foliage and bottlebrush flowers that sway in the breeze, creating a dynamic backdrop. These grasses thrive in the same well-drained conditions and full sun, and their subdued color palette ensures the African daisies remain the focal point.
Selecting low-growing, spreading plants as companions helps create a cohesive garden bed while performing the practical function of conserving water. Sedum, or stonecrop, is a perfect match. Its succulent leaves are exceptionally drought-tolerant and it forms a dense mat that shades the soil, reducing evaporation and inhibiting weed growth. In late summer and fall, its clusters of star-shaped flowers provide a valuable nectar source when other plants may be fading. Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina) is another fantastic option, offering incredibly soft, silver-felted foliage that creates a beautiful textural contrast with the daisy's smoother leaves and helps retain soil moisture.
