February 27, 2009 06:00 by
LukeIn Milarri Garden plants are dropping seed on to the dry ground this time of year ready to germinate when Autumn rains arrive. Some such as Everlasting Daisies (genus Bracteantha) set seed within the daisy flowerhead in much the same way sunflowers do.
Everlasting daisies set seed- one for each of the mini-flowers within the orange centre of the bloom. Photo: Serene O'Halloran Source: Museum Victoria
Old Man Weed (Centipeda cunninghamii)also known as Gukwonderukin in Wotjobaluk language- is a low growing annual herb producing small brown seed heads which break apart into hundreds of tiny seeds. Old Man Weed can be boiled to make a tonic for respiratory complaints or rubbed directly onto the skin for aches & pains or skin complaints.
Tiny seeds of Old Man Weed Photo: Serene O'Halloran Source: Museum Victoria
Errol builds a bower
The young male Satin Bower Bird nicknamed Errol has been an ardent student of bower construction, learning by observing Jack the mature male at work. His new bower may be observed at the edge of the garden in the 'Fire' zone of the Forest Gallery. Visitors have been spending extended times just watching his antics and those of Jack who occasionally intervenes and steals some of the hard-won blue objects. A male bower birds uses his elaborately constructed and decorated bower to entice females to mate. The bower is not a nest, as people often assume.
Errol ponders where to place his bllue bottle cap. Photo: Luke Simpkin Sourcce: Musem Victoria
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