Paper Daisies
I found Xerochrysm macranthum and a red flowered Xerochrysm bracteatum. These are paper daisies or everlasting daisies as they are sometimes called. When the flowers are picked they can be hung upside down so that the stems remain straight while the moisture in the stem dries. The flowers continue to open so it is a good idea to experiment with the stage of openness at picking, as to what you want the flower to be like when dry.
Another way of dealing with paper flowers is to cut the stem to within 1 cm of the flower and poke fine florist wire along the length of the stem and just into the back of the flower. Stand the wired flowers in a heavy vase until the stem dries. These are great in floral decorations, or other crafts. The flowers last a long time, at least 12 months, after which you can do a new batch to replace the old.
I cut the plants back to fresh growth to encourage more shoots along the stem and eventually flowering again. These plants should last a long time unless we get severe frost this year.
Perennials and Daisies
Today has been a weed, prune and discard day. In doing so I discovered some treasures that I thought I had lost over the summer. Epacris impressa is not one that I would put in the ground here, but I love it. So it gets to live in a pot which is a hazard in itself. Beautiful Correa ‘Ivory Bells’ was just coming into flower.
I thought I had lost some of the native lillies, too. I knew that they died back in summer but I also thought that the watering may have rotted them. I tossed out a pot, only to reclaim it very quickly when I saw a small tuber with the beginning of a shoot. I rescued a whole box full, thankfully. A lot of Australian natives die down during the heat of summer to reappear when the weather cools down.
All the Xerochrysm (paper daisies) needed trimming and tidying and there were some beautiful colours amongst them. These were known previously as Helichrysm and then Bracteantha until it was discovered that the name Xerochrysm had the prior claim.
Other daisies like the Brachyscomes are flowering madly at the moment, particularly a fine leaved pink Brachyscome multifida and Brachyscome multifida ‘Amethyst’. Brachyscomes look like miniature marguerite daisies, although they a small perennials, rather than shrubs. I think I have said before that I love daisies.