Winter garden delights

It’s that time of the year again where the cold weather slowly starts to creep up on us, where the social events die down & the enthusiasm of getting out of bed drops dramatically as its so much warmer under the covers than outside. You have probably noticed all the hustle & bustle of the animals, insects & birds has slowed down too; that the spring chicks have fully fledged & are ready to take on those cold winter months, plus the world seems that little bit quieter with everything preparing for the colder season ahead.

However, Australia never truly stops, not like many countries in Europe where the winter is so cold & bleak that the sun hardly stays up long enough to sustain the plants & animals so instead they gorge themselves on the spring & summer delights & then head into a deep slumber until that warm sun comes back up to awaken them all into another feeding & breeding frenzy. 

We are very fortunate in Australia that we can still enjoy that winter sun when it comes out & so too does the many native plants & animal species, as they are still very much awake.

Many Australian plants have adapted to ensure that they flower during periods where pollinating competition is not as intense, that these extraordinary plants have found an evolutionary advantage to blooming in what would normally be a quiet time of year & as such we all get to benefit from their beautiful flowers and animals species have a reliable food source throughout the cooler months.

Here are a few winter flowering plants that can be planted for the cool/ temperate regions around Australia they are not only beautiful but will also keep the local critters happy.  When creating a habitat garden it is always good to remember the seasonal aspect of your garden.

Banksias

Banksia Integrifolia- Nectar loving birds, small mammals & insects rely on this tree with its large lemon yellow flowers that are produced from autumn through winter to spring, the flowers are nectar rich and attract wildlife, they followed by its seeds that also provide another valuable food source to many.

Callistemon varieties  

Correas

Crowea / Wax flowers: Nectar loving birds rely on these species of bell shaped flowers. They provide a vital food source for small bird species throughout the winter months.

Eremophila varieties

Grevillea varieties- Beautiful varieties of grevilleas exist in most states of Australia. Their sweet nectar rich flowers provide food to small birds and insects and they come in a variety of forms. Some have soft foliage whilst others are spikey & are perfect in providing protected habitat.

Scaevola

Viola hederacea

Originally written by Emmaline Bowman for Birds in Backyards