This morning, we went for a flower hunt to see how many different flowers there were in the garden, including the verge.
Here’s the list:
Acacia Fimbriata (Brisbane Wattle) is coming into flower. In the morning sun, it is abuzz. Also popular with birds of all sizes
Subtropical Nectarine blossom
Graptophyllum ilicifolium (Holly Fuchsia) popular with bees and small birds
Grevillea “Peaches and Cream” is nearly always in flower
Westringia eremicola (lilac) and
Westringia fruticosa (white) almost always in flower
Pigeon Pea popular with bees and regular food source for the ringtail possum
Nasturtium are rambling far and wide
Sweet Alyssum
Pink Geraniums and
white geraniums. This one is on the verge with a nasturtium behind
Garden Peas
Viola Banksii – native violet is always in flower to some degree
Salvia – a large purple salvia give to me as a cutting by Dianne from BLF
Aloe Vera – honeyeaters perch on the stalk to access the flowers
Cosmos – some pink ones hanging on, lots of self-sown seedlings coming up on the verge mixed in with the self-sown alyssum, self-sown strawflower, and westringia top right. Maybe that won’t be a pathway this year.
Myoporum boninense (Boobialla) has tiny white flowers along the main stem
Coleus – you keep the flowers because the tiny native bees and the blue-banded bees love them
Goodenia – yellow flowers on an unassuming but attractive plant on the verge.
Grevilllea Canberra Gem – spiky plant that flowers all year round. Much loved by the fairy wrens and honey eaters. The double-barred finch built a nest there last year.
Xanthorrhoea – Grass Tree. I’ve been watching this spike grow for a couple of weeks now.
Chrysanthemum – self-sown on the verge
Osteospermum – also on the verge
Rosemary – always some flowers
Begonias
Lettuce – when they bolt, let some go to flower and seed for the bees – and the next crop of self-sown lettuces
Euphorbia
Ozothamnus (rice flower)
Yellow Pea Bush
Strawflower – first of the self-sown flowering
Zinnia – first of the self-sown flowering
Pentas
And then there were the Dandelions, gerberas, a petunia left over from last year…
Having a variety of flowers throughout the year is an essential part of a habitat garden for small birds, pollinators and good bugs. All of these creatures help the food garden.