Everlasting love
I know I bang on about growing everlastings every year but they are such a wonderful plant to throw around the place. Everyone should just plant out a little patch of their own outback.
Autumn is the best time to plan and plant for the big spring display.
Verges are ideal because they receive maximum sun. Imagine your verge a sea of pink, white and yellow everlastings.
There are quite a few different daisy species ranging from white to pink, deep red, yellow, orange, blue and mauve. Although growing only to 50cm in height they make great cut flowers.
The varieties below are available in nurseries in seed form. The others you can only get as potted plants.
To create an everlasting display, first clear the area from weeds and control snails. Sow the seed where you want the display.
Mix the seed with either sharp sand or potting mix to ensure even distribution. A small laundry bucket of potting mix to one handful of seed will give better spread.
Lightly cover the seed with soil. Either tread or roll the seed into the soil. Water gently so as not to displace the seed.
Do not water again until the seeds germinate (7-14 days).
Everlastings to grow from seed:
Bracteantha bracteata (previously known as Helichrysum bracteatum) — in yellow, orange, pink and white.
Rhodanthe chlorocephala ssp. rosea — Deep pink flowers with a yellow or black centre.
Rhodanthe manglesii — Pink or white nodding bell-shaped flowers. Named after Captain James Mangles.
Schoenia filifolia ssp. subulifolia — The WA yellow paper daisies.
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