Colours of the sun
One of my favourite explorers of all time, William Dampier, was the first to document a specimen of the first Australian daisy, which was a brachyscome found in 1699 at Shark Bay.
By the middle of the 19th century they were a big hit in Europe but virtually ignored in WA.
This was to be a common theme in the history of gardening using our native plants.
There are many daisies in the Australian flora but the big show-stoppers are the everlastings. They epitomise the outback of Western Australia.
One of the most popular is the bracteantha range. The everlastings are big, bright and blousy and look amazing when group-planted.
The new varietal release of the Bracteantha Mohave series flowers earlier and comes in vibrant colour ranges.
Bracteantha are heat and drought tolerant, love full sun, grow well in hanging baskets, pots and, of course, native gardens. I planted a mass of them underneath a grass tree and they looked sensational against the black trunk.
The Mohave series comes in dark red, white, yellow and bright fire red.
You could mix the colours up or plant a single colour and make a patchwork.
Bracteantha Wallaby Cherry has brilliant crimson red flowers with a golden yellow eye. Bracteantha Daisy Fields Gold produces clear golden yellow flowers with brilliant orange centres.
If you want indoor flowers that last for months, bracteanthas will do the job.
