Osteospermums ARE annuals !

At least they will be in my garden from now on. No more cutting back for a second, third or even fourth flowering. One flowering and out they go. I admit that Osteospermum (syn. Dimorphotheca - African Daisy, etc.) are so easy to grow, always green, flower readily, don't mind years of drought and months of frosts, have pretty white, mauve, purple, yellow or orange flowers, etc. etc. - but I am so bored with them. They are taking over, hiding the couch grass and snails, smothering and distorting other plants, and encouraging their offspring to come up in their hundreds. To think that I was so excited when I found the first self-sown plants years ago, carefully transplanting them, and today I've just pulled out four large barrow loads, and there's more to go. At least, they'll mulch up well and make great compost.