Asteriscus maritimus is already giving a splash of colour in various places along Eastbourne seafront. This Mediterranean plant loves full sunshine and will tolerate very dry conditions once established. Normally it flowers later in the year but blooms keep appearing while the mild weather persists.
Nurseries and garden centres sometimes stock the plant under the name Golden Buttons. It makes good ground cover on well drained soils and soon grows into low cushions that suppress weed growth very effectively.
New Bird Boxes for Hampden Park
Pupils from Saint Andrews School, Meads, handed over a number of new bird boxes to the Council Parks and Gardens Section on 22nd January. The boxes were built by pupils and offered to the Friends of The Hampden Park who will work with parks staff to find suitable locations.
Although the boxes will shortly be put in place it may be next year before the birds are used to them. The different designs of box should attract a range of species.
Sweet Scent of Winter Heliotrope
It is possible that you might have noticed the scent of this plant without realising its source. Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans) originates from the Mediterranean region but prefers damp ground particularly along stream sides where it can come to dominate. Introduced as a garden plant it is no longer popular because it is difficult to control.
The strongly vanilla-scented pale lilac flowerheads are on short stalks appearing above the leaves during the winter. The kidney-shaped leaves grow up to 150mm (6 inches) across after the flowers have perished. The plant is perennial but dies back by the autumn each year.
