The Pink and White Gerbera is a favourite plant in my Gillitts garden and a common wildflower in coastal and inland grassland. White flowers open their happy faces to the bright sun but close-up towards evening and on cloudy days; they droop downwards, slightly open reminding me of those transparent bubble umbrellas – remember them? Plants hug the ground with lightly furry leaves growing from a tight rosette, bright green above, soft white below. On a bright and hot day, the white undersides often twist upwards, a way of reflecting the sun’s rays off the plant to reduce moisture loss. Each rosette produces a single flower stem, but clumps increase rapidly, and a massed display along a pathway is spectacular. Flowers are 30 – 50 cm in diameter, white above with a pink flush beneath. There is a yellow form carrying a coppery sheen beneath.