A visit to a native garden
Australian native plants in an Adelaide Hills garden
A while back now my wife and I were invited to a friend’s home in the Adelaide Hills. She and her husband had planted up every spare space in their ordinary suburban block with Australian native plants. They had just sold their property in order to down size their home, so we were invited to come and take photos and cuttings of whatever plants we liked. Over the next few days I will share photos of some of the plants flowering there. Please take note that this was in the middle of winter; it’s delightful how much was in flower.
Australian native plants in an Adelaide Hills garden
Australian native plants in an Adelaide Hills garden (Correa)
Nature walk, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park
Nature walk in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, NW Victoria
Sydney Trip June 2011
At this stage our two week holiday was rapidly drawing to a close. It was the last afternoon of our trip and it turned out to be the best weather of the whole time away. The sky was clear and bright, the sun warm on our backs and we even took off our jumpers despite it being mid-winter. For the last activity of our holiday we did the 45 minute Nature Walk near the entrance to Hattah-Kulkyne National Park in NW Victoria.
This short easy walk takes you through a variety of flora types, including mallee (eucalyptus species), native pines (Callitris species) and spinifex ( the low spiky plants shown in the photos above and below. We found a few plants flowering and were able to get several nice photos. The birding was a little slow and I didn’t get any good shots.
After a quick drink and bite to eat we headed off on the last 3 hours of our trip home. At Ouyen we stopped at the nationally famous bakery to buy something to eat along the way, knowing it would be quite late when we arrived home. At Murrayville we stopped briefly to have a cup of tea and enjoy the treats bought at the bakery. We arrived home in the dark, tired yet pleased to be heading off to our own bed again.
Nature walk in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, NW Victoria
Flowers on the Nature walk in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, NW Victoria
Nature walk in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, NW Victoria
Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens
Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens
Sydney Trip June 2011
On our way home from visiting family in Sydney earlier this year we stopped for a short break in the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens, just a short detour from the main road through the city. We only stayed long enough to have a quick bite to eat, a refreshing cuppa and to have a brief look at some of the flowers blooming in the gardens. Yesterday I showed some of the photos I took; today I add a few more, including some beautiful grevilleas.
Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens
Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens
Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens
Rose garden, Barossa Quilting and Craft Cottage
Rose garden, Barossa Quilt and Craft Cottage, Nuriootpa, South Australia
This special rose garden is situated between the road from Angaston and Nuriootpa and the Barossa Quilting and Craft Cottage in the Barossa Valley of South Australia. Over the last few days I’ve shared some of my photos from that garden and today I’ve added a few more.
Rose garden, Barossa Quilt and Craft Cottage, Nuriootpa, South Australia
Rose garden, Barossa Quilt and Craft Cottage, Nuriootpa, South Australia
Captivating correas
Correas growing in the dunes at Marion Bay, South Australia
Whenever I go out birding, or when we are travelling out in the country and my wife is with me, I keep one eye on the birds and the other on the vegetation. Being a little cross-eyed like that probably means I miss a few plants or birds and sometimes nearly step on venomous snakes. Joking aside, I once had a red-bellied black snake crawl over my boot while checking out a birding spot. I swear that my feet didn’t touch the ground for at lest five metres!
On our recent visit to Yorke Peninsula here in South Australia we were on the lookout for flowering plants of any description and especially these delightful bell shaped correas shown in the photos. We were not disappointed and saw plenty. The photos on this post are all in a small area on the sand dunes at Penguin Point near Marion Bay.
Correas growing in the dunes at Marion Bay, South Australia
Correas growing in the dunes at Marion Bay, South Australia
Correas growing in the dunes at Marion Bay, South Australia
Coastal vegetation in the dunes at Marion Bay, South Australia