Lacy umbels of vari-colored purple, lavender, and cream blooms give Daucus carota its airy grace in the garden or bouquet. This member of the Apiaceae family is also commonly called Dara, Wild Carrot, and Queen Anne's Lace. The conventional, wild-type Queen Anne's Lace you see on the side of the road is a true biennial, which grows only vegetation in its first year, and blooms the following year. Garden Club offers new cultivars Purple Kisses and Dara have have been bred as annuals, to bloom in their first season. Daucus is a good choice for most climate zones; the young plants can handle frost, and only need protection during a deep freeze.

Daucus is a type of fancy carrot bred for flowers, but it still has a taproot that does not like to be disturbed. After unboxing, watering, and hardening off your plugs, transplant them very gently and keep the young plants moist until they are acclimated to their new bed. Daucus is a hardy annual, and needs a cool period to establish before flowing. You can plant them a few weeks before your last outdoor frost in the spring if you live in a cold-winter zone; in warmer zones, transplant in the fall and overwinter for an earlier springtime bloom. Plant in full sun for the best bloom. A long day plant, Daucus will flower from early summer through to first frost.

Allow 8 to 10 inches of space between each plant. Daucus likes loose, well-draining soil of average fertility. If there is too much nitrogren in the soil or added fertilizer, it will cause excess foliage growth but very few flowers. Once the plants have established, they are quite drought tolerant. To extend your blooming window, plant 2 or 3 successions spaced a few weeks apart in the spring. Sunshine and warmth will speed the growth of the plant; when happy, you can expect flowers about 80-90 days after transplant. Daucus is quite hardy and resistant to disease and insect damage, making it an easy-to-grow flower and ideal filler for bouquets.

Harvest Daucus when nearly all of the flowers are open. If you cut too early, the cut stems may wilt; cutting too late risks pollen shed and a short vase life.