When I am showing a visitor around our property, I find the second pair of eyes (or three, or four) very helpful.  We all notice different things.  Last week, my visitors were very knowledgeable and I learned a lot from them. Over the next few weeks I will be adding a few plants to my A-Z Species List.  These may finally include some species of trees!  Thanks Emily, John and Elaine for pointing out some interesting things!

Among the exciting finds is a patch of Bird Orchid leaves. There are no buds on them yet, and they’re growing in a location where both kangaroos and wallabies like to graze, so I hope to get to see the flowers.  Today I placed a wire ‘cage’ around part of the patch to try to protect it.

The Winter flowering plants, many of which are already on my species list, are making a wonderful show at the moment too, with Nodding Greenhoods and Slaty Helmet-Orchids growing in colonies, Beard Heath coming into flower and Common Heath continuing to put on a great display.  Dotted here and there are Blunt Greenhoods, just beginning to emerge, the last of the Small Mosquito Orchid flowers, and  buds of Mayfly Orchids and Gnat Orchids.  For the sharp-eyed there are signs of the Spring flowers to come, with the tips of leaves pushing up through the soil, and the climbing plants winding their way up bracken stems.

At the moment, the Drosera or Sundew plants have my attention.  I’ve come across an excellent source of information about Victorian Drosera plants, listing twelve species found across the State. I think we have at least five or six of these species, so I am in the middle of working through the identifying features of each species.  Expect to see some posts about Sundews over the next week. Here is a photograph of the first Scented Sundew flowers of the season.  I just love these plants.