The beginning of winter has seen quite heavy showers of rain over the past couple of weeks. Last night for example there was a severe thunderstorm that, for safety's sake meant I had to stop using the PC for a while. This morning the rain has stopped, and the thunder appears to have gone. For the time being, anyway.The chilly winter weather can also stimulate the activity of birds in the garden. wagtails, honeyeaters, wrens, magpies are constantly eating and can reduce the insect population by a fair amount. I can just hear a family of kookaburras laughing their way to the rising of the sun. Long-flowering shrubs, too, can increase the number of birds that come into the garden, so I will be planting some of these in any spares space in the garden I can find.
There are species among the everlastings that provide a cheerful display of flowers and, not to put too fine a point on it, last a long time. They can be planted on street verges, borders in the garden, surrounds of the pool, slopes, and terraces, in the rockery, in pots and in baskets.
Many species are available including: Yellow strawflower (helichrysum bracteatum), this plant can grow to 1 metre (3.3 feet) with green branching foliage with yellow strawflowers up to about 4 cm (1.6 inches) in diameter. This is a very hardy plant and can be sown as a tall border plant and is suitable for dried flower production.
Another everlasting, the Pink Cluster Everlasting (Helichrysum cassinianum) is a very profuse and showy plant, forming a bushy shape about 50 cm (20 inches) across and 60 cm (24 inches) high). The plant is very hardy and tolerant to drought and will grow in a variety of soil types. It can be used as a border plant and grown in hanging baskets or pots. It looks very attractive if spread over a wide area as a massed display of colour.
The best known of the everlastings, the Pink and White everlasting (Helipterum roseum), has been cultivated for a long time. The plant grows to 60 cm (24 inches) high and has large numbers of daisy like flowers, 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter. The colours can be deep pink to white, with a black or a yellow centre. It makes a very colourful border plant and can be used to produce long-lasting dried flowers for the house. This too can also be grown in pots and hanging baskets. I think myself; the Helipterum looks best when used for a massed colour display when you are landscaping.
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