Key features of Everlasting Flowers

Water-wise
Bold and beautiful
Easy to grow with 100% germination rate
Australian native, they are not an environmental weed
Long flowering from July to November, depending on season
Self-seeding which do not require further plantings once established
Long lasting seed, is viable for at least 10 years

Usage

Garden bed feature
Driveways
Pot plants
Road verges
Cut or dried flowers
A special gift or souvenir

How to grow Everlastings in five easy steps

1. Site selection

Everlastings will grow in most conditions. However, for optimal growth, ensure your seeds have the following two seedbed conditions:

Reasonably well drained soil (not constantly water-logged)
Access to sunlight (sunny for some part of the day)

Everlastings will tolerate extremely cold weather, frost, moderate waterlogging, heat, coastal, tropical, and little sunlight conditions. It can be planted all year round, if irrigated in summer.

2. Weed control

Weeds must be controlled for optimal germination and production. Weeds can be controlled either;

manually by physically removing the weeds, or
chemically, using a knockdown herbicide such as glyphosate, before the everlasting seeds are planted.

After germination, a grass selective can be lightly sprayed to control grass weeds

Note: It is worth prolonging the planting of everlasting seeds until weeds are controlled.

3. Fertilise

Everlastings thrive with the use of a good all-purpose fertiliser. If your soil is deficient in any nutrient, also consider the application of trace elements. However, everlastings will also remain productive in limiting conditions, without the use of any fertiliser at all.

4. Seed application

When seed is applied to the seedbed, it should be left on the surface or lightly covered by soil with a rake. Seed can then be pressed into the soil (by rolling or trampling), to create good seed-soil contact. Sowing depth should be no greater than 5mm into the seedbed.
Seed should be sown at a rate of 1 gram per 1 m². Therefore 10g will cover a 10m² area.
Can be planted all year, if irrigated

5. Pest control

Like all seedlings, pests must be controlled after planting! Either use:

a knockdown pest management chemical, or
use residual control to provide control for extended periods after planting.

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Germination

Everlasting seeds should germinate 10 - 14 days after planting. Depending on site conditions, everlastings will grow from 10cm in height, to a metre.

Maintenance

Go have a break. No maintenance required once established.

Flowering

Everlastings should flower approximately 12 weeks after planting, depending on when sown. If sown late, plants will flower earlier. Once flowering, flowers should remain beautiful for at least 3 months, depending on climate.
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Collection for Display

Harvesting and Drying Everlasting Flowers

Drying everlasting flowers for display is a popular gardening activity. The simplest way to preserve the flowers, and maintain full colour and form is to follow the following steps:

Harvest flowers when weather conditions are dry, and flowers are fully open (in the middle of a sunny day). Do not pick them too early when the plant is still forming, or too late when the colour starts to fade.
Strip the foliage from the stems, unless you are specifically drying them for foliage.
Tie the stems loosely into bunches using rubber bands.
Hang the bunches upside down in a dark, cool, dry, well ventilated place, such as an attic or shed (flowers are hung upside down so that the stems dry straight).
Hang the plant material until it is thoroughly dry, usually 2 to 3 weeks.
Enjoy colour inside your home!