THIS SUMMER, I'm growing daisies. Daisies are happy flowers, darlings of the sun. They're named for it, "day's eye," and their centres are called discs, while the petals are known as rays. Most daisies display sunny tones, including yellows and oranges, pinks and reds. There are whites, blues, and purples, too. I have more reasons for loving daisies. Most wild critters prefer other flowers (although the seeds of sunflowers, also a type of daisy, are beloved by deer, chipmunks, and other wildlife). Daisies are in the Asteraceae family, one of the larger groups of flowering plants. They're also considered as part of the Compositae family, where they were traditionally listed. Daisies come in hundreds of sizes and shapes, from ground-huggers to plants several metres tall. There are single or double flowers, and the ambience may be as carefree as the wild roadside oxeyes, or as sophisticated and demanding as mopheaded dahlias. Versatile daisies are hardy, too. Many of the perennials survive in Zone 3 or 4, and all love sun. Some tolerate dryness as well. Their blooming season tends to be long, and even the winter seedheads can be attractive. Many daisies can be bought in nurseries in spring and summer, and some can be directly seeded in the garden, especially annuals such as sunflowers, cornflowers, zinnias and asters. Since I need plenty of perennials to fill my new beds, I've started 100 seedlings. In February, I sowed Heliopsis 'Summer Sun' and Dahlberg daisies, also known as golden fleece (Dyssodia tenuiloba). Neither grew much until March, when the days became longer and warmer. The stately Heliopsis, much like a perennial version of a sunflower, grows one metre (three feet) tall, and has hand-width-sized double yellow flowers on strong stems. Golden fleece grows only five centimetres (two inches) tall, with masses of small yellow flowers that are perfect for sunny borders, tumbling down banks, or spilling over the rims of hanging planters. In early March, I sowed the lavender-pink coneflower Echinacea 'Bright Star' and the new, fragrant All-America Selections (AAS) Echinacea 'Sunset,' whose bright orange rays encircle a reddish-brown disc. Both echinaceas grow sturdily to about 60 centimetres (two feet). They're similar in height to two of my favourite gloriosa daisies, the bright orange rudbeckia 'Marmalade' and the bi-coloured 'Goblin.' These are short-lived perennials, more likely to survive if they're mulched for winter. Among my annuals is the new AAS Osteospermum 'Asti White,' the first white from seed. It's drought tolerant and about 25 centimetres (10 inches) tall. I'll plant other annual daisies later from seed, especially zinnia, chrysanthemums, asters and a host of sunflowers tall and short, including the dwarf pale yellow 'Bit Smile,' and tall, rusty red 'Infrared.' Annual coreopsis and centaurea are wonderfully drought resistant and faithfully bloom from seed sown directly in the garden and watered until they are established. Calendula, the so-called pot marigold, comes in both perennial and annual forms. Its annual petals can be used as a saffron substitute. It will come as no surprise to daisy growers that a recent scientific study indicated flowers make people measurably happier. In three experiments, a psychology professor at Rutgers University gave flowers to women, young men and women, and to seniors. In all cases, the flowers created genuine smiles and long-lasting pleasure. To prolong the pleasure, I bring daisies inside as cut flowers. Take a bucket of lukewarm water into the garden with you, so the cut stems don't dry out. Morning is the best time for picking. Choose perfect, partly open blooms, and put them in a cool, shady place overnight to double your pleasure with daisies indoors and out. - JENNIFER BENNETT Jennifer Bennett welcomes feedback at jben@ca.inter.net or via acreagelife.editors@producer.com.