Across the road from my daughter’s house there is a lovely block of native bush that has walking paths through it and is home to a huge variety of local native flora.
I have been over with my camera and taken many pictures so that I can identify correctly the various plants.
Some I didn’t have to look up as they are common in gardens in areas where I’ve lived over the years. My late mother-in-law had a beautiful specimen of Geraldton Wax in her property garden at Narromine and there are several of these in this area. Hardenbergia is running everywhere and climbing through the wax shrubs. Both are flowering at the moment and the combination of the pink wax flowers and purple hardenbergia is truly lovely.
Another shrub that is flourishing and apparently can grow to about three metres or be kept pruned to about one metre is the floral emblem of Mandurah, templetonia retusa or known
more commonly in the area as Cocky’s tongue. It is covered in fairly large, red, pea flowers through winter and spring. It is a WA native but when I first saw the flowers I thought of the coastal coral tree that grows on the east coast and becomes a problem. After I noticed it growing naturally in this area I saw it many times planted in the nature strips in the centre of the roads and trimmed back almost into a hedge.
I am so intrigued by the native flowers when I am in WA that I rarely take notice of the other things growing in gardens! Because of the climate and different soils there, not too many gardens contain what is traditional here.
I think I only saw one magnolia all the time I was away until I landed back in Sydney and went up to the central coast and Tamworth. The gardens in these areas are full of beautiful Japanese magnolias in full spectacular bloom. They are one of my favourite trees and hold happy memories of my friendly neighbours who taught an inquisitive small girl how to propagate them.
Another favourite that I have seen flowering prolifically since I came back are camellias. Camellia sasanqua seems to be putting on a great display everywhere I’ve been on the eastern side of our great country.
Lots of people, I know, don’t like the carpet of fallen blooms, but I think they look great! But then again I like the purple carpet under Jacaranda trees and fallen autumn leaves from various English trees as well! I know they are messy and a lot of work but I love the changing cycle of nature.
One of my favourite memories of Palmerin St this year was being down near Leslie Park very early one morning and seeing the wind playing with all the fallen leaves that covered the road. It seemed a shame to drive through and disrupt it until I realised the movement of the vehicles added to the swirling beauty.
Around Tamworth at the moment the various wattles are blooming well ready for the official Wattle Day on 1 August. The Cootamundra Wattle of John Williamson’s song, seems to be flowering particularly well at the moment and the bush is full of gorgeous yellow. The chorus… “all at once my childhood never left me.. cos wattle blossoms bring it back again” ..of that song resonates with me as there was a Cootamundra wattle at the end of the street where I caught the bus to school. Wattle has always been a lovely part of my life, as on each property we owned my husband would always bring me a spray of the first wattle that came out each spring.
I mentioned hardenbergia earlier as it was beginning to flower in WA. It is also a childhood favourite as it used to come up on the graded roadsides near where I lived. No tarred surfaces back then. Mum got countless trailing bouquets as I came home from school..purple and gold looked great together. Unfortunately, Mum and two of my brothers suffered from hay fever and sinus, so wattle was a definite “no” in the house.
Seasons come and go and things change and it is great to see and experience those changes in our lives and in nature.
As the weather improves, our gardens will come to life and there will be plenty to keep us occupied!
Don’t forget the Spring Garden Competition and the following Spring Flower Show in early October.. and of course the Floral Window Display for Rodeo Weekend at the end of that month.
It will be wonderful to see the results of all your hard work at these events.
Plan to do a window for your school, charity or “just because”! Many business may be open to you providing a display in their windows if they aren’t able to do it themselves.. approach and ask.. they can only say no!!.. Let’s try and rival Jumpers and Jazz and celebrate the Rodeo!
