I can identify these beauties as a species of Fringe Lily, or Thysanotus. Most the guides I have looked at show them on graceful stems, or as a trailing climber, while our flowers seemed to be growing at ground level. When I took this photo, I intended to come back the next day and look … Continue reading Fringed beauty for a day
Tag: flower
Running Postman ( Kennedia prostrata R. Br.)
Also known as the Scarlet Coral-Pea or Scarlet Runner, this brightly coloured flower is covering the ground in a grassy area just behind our orchard. While I believe it is a creeper that grows along the ground, it looks like many individual plants growing together in a clump. The flowers are about 2 cm across, … Continue reading Running Postman ( Kennedia prostrata R. Br.)
Vanilla Orchid (Thelymitra antennifera)
In researching this orchid I have discovered that it is also called the Lemon Orchid, Rabbit-ears or Rabbit’s Ears Orchid. Looking at the photo on the guide, I can see that the dark marks in the centre do look like some flopsy ears. These aren’t shown in my photos, so I will go back out … Continue reading Vanilla Orchid (Thelymitra antennifera)
A Taste of Honey – the Eastern Spinebill is back
Our new, larger, laundry window has proved useful in observing this honeyeater feed. Last year, I photographed the Red Wattle Bird feeding on this cactus in flower, but the cat netting prevents the larger birds from coming into our back yard now. Small birds, such as this Eastern Spinebill, sneak through the openings on the … Continue reading A Taste of Honey – the Eastern Spinebill is back
Native Pea Flowers
In one vibrant corner of our bush we have Waxlip Orchids, Pink Eyes (coming soon!) and this glorious shrub covered in gold and red flowers. So many of our native shrubs have flowers of this colour and shape, and my head is spinning from trying to identify this one correctly. I believe it is probably … Continue reading Native Pea Flowers
Pink Fingers: Australian Native Orchid (Caladenia carnea)
Today I was finally able to go out looking for native flowers again. I’ve had a busy few days, and when I was ready to take a break, it was raining. Over the three days, many more Waxlip Orchids have opened. I found these distributed throughout the bushland, with some patches and some solitary plants. … Continue reading Pink Fingers: Australian Native Orchid (Caladenia carnea)
Gnat Orchid
On the same day I photographed the Waxlip Orchid, I also managed to get some clearer photographs of the Gnat Orchid. This Orchid is so hard to see. It is so tiny, the stems are slimmer than a blade of grass, and brownish purple. i was so lucky to be with people who knew what … Continue reading Gnat Orchid
The First Waxlip Orchid this Spring
Yesterday I spent an enjoyable morning searching for orchids with friends. We found many Greenhoods of varying types, and many more leaves or buds indicating that a number of species were about to burst into flower – Spider Orchid, Sun Orchid and Waxlip Orchid among them. Try as we might, we didn’t find one of … Continue reading The First Waxlip Orchid this Spring
More orchids in flower
It is amazing how much more I can see when I have a knowledgeable guide to point out the tiny Australian Native Orchids in flower. I must have walked past some of the tiny mosquito orchids hundreds of times without noticing they were in flower. My friend B.J., who is an orchid enthusiast visited today, … Continue reading More orchids in flower
Our Spring Garden
Spring is almost here, and the garden is blooming! In this post, I just wanted to capture the form and colour of some of the flowers in our garden.
Common Beard-heath Leucopogon virgatus (Labill.) R. Br.
With tiny flowers, hardly more than 2 mm across when fully open, I was lucky to see the Common Beard-Heath, let alone photograph it clearly without a macro lens. This is my first effort at capturing the fluffy petals (with the assistance of Photoshop to enlarge the flower). Today is a clear sunny day, so … Continue reading Common Beard-heath Leucopogon virgatus (Labill.) R. Br.
Scented Sundew Part 2
A week ago I would have walked past hundreds of Scented Sundew plants, and not even noticed that they were there. Having found the first Scented Sundew on Saturday, I’ve had a heightened awareness of tiny leaves, looking for the telltale sticky hairs. It turns out we have patches of Scented Sundews all over our … Continue reading Scented Sundew Part 2
Climbing Sundew Drosera macrantha Endl.
On Saturday, I posted two photos of the Scented Sundew an insectivorous plant. I took these photos late in the afternoon, when the light was not good. They were quick photos, for identification of the flower. Heading back out on Sunday, in better light and with the aim of taking better photos, I discovered they were … Continue reading Climbing Sundew Drosera macrantha Endl.
Scented Sundew: Drosera whittakeri ssp. aberrans
The wild flowers are just starting to emerge! How exciting! This week, the Nodding Greenhoods began to show and today we noticed very tiny white flowers coming up in places on the recently mown grass behind our garden beds. Tell-tale sticky red hairs covering the leaves revealed it was an insectivorous plant, and further research … Continue reading Scented Sundew: Drosera whittakeri ssp. aberrans
Nodding Greenhoods Are Emerging
It’s fantastic to see the Nodding Greenhoods emerging again. This was the first species of Australian Native Orchid I had ever seen. When we first moved in they were flowering, in large patches right across our property. Hopefully they will do the same this year, but so far we have a few scattered along … Continue reading Nodding Greenhoods Are Emerging
November Wildflowers: Part 1
The last month of Spring seems to be the peak flowering period for Australian native plants that grow around here. In November they were the most spectacular, as well as the most plentiful. Leading into this month, rainfall had been good, the dam was full, and the ground moist. The late Spring sun shone down … Continue reading November Wildflowers: Part 1
October Wild Flowers – Part 3
Thank you to KMS who left a comment on my Cranberry Heath post, including a link to the VicVeg website. What a fantastic breakthrough. This wonderful website allows me to search by flower colour, location within Victoria, and type of plant (herb, tree, shrub etc) meaning, I have finally been able to put names to … Continue reading October Wild Flowers – Part 3
Stepping Outside the Boundary Fence
Apart from the occasional ‘self-sufficiency’ post, I try to keep the focus of my blog to the land outside our house, but inside the boundary fence. However, the native heath flowering in the Enfield State Park is so beautiful, I thought I would share it with you. We just happened to be driving past on … Continue reading Stepping Outside the Boundary Fence
Native Shrubs in Flower
Dotted around the property are a number of flowering native shrubs which have been planted by previous owners. Many of these are just coming into flower, while others have interesting seed cases on display. I have not yet researched the specific plant names, so I have just posted the images without descriptions. Enjoy the photo … Continue reading Native Shrubs in Flower
Fifteen Acres 