A WALK IN THE SUNSHINE...

We had quite a bit of rain last night but today the sky was blue and cloudless. I decided I'd take a walk in the Maroochy Botanic Gardens to see what I could see. It's a great spot for a picnic with many seating areas. The 82 hectare site is broken down into different areas like wetlands, sculpture gardens, moss garden with marked walks. Lots of flowers and greenery of course there. Lots of people too. Note to self, next time go much earlier and during the week if you want peace and quiet.

 Away from the screaming kids, shrieking girls and loud cricketers & golfers (next door to the gardens) I did manage a couple of snaps of birds.  In the gloom of the rainforest area they haven't turned out as well as I'd like. The first is a turtle dove of some sort which looks very different to the ones I see around home [edit Oct 2020: Older and wiser me knows it's a bar-shouldered dove and a white-browed scrub wren]. Top right is a tiny wee little bird which was leaping around in the undergrowth and generally being uncooperative (no idea what it is).  A small yellow wren or similar flitted around tantalisingly close sometimes but managed to avoid my lens. At least the  wicker whipbird sculpture sat still for me. 

Of course, there are lots and lots of sculptures scattered throughout. There's also a python which can give you a fright the first time you set eyes on it. You'll have to go see them all for yourself.

 On the left is Phaius tancarvilleae a large swamp orchid which is almost ready to flower. They are quite beautiful and well worth the trek out there to see them (in my opinion anyway). Top right is the Rusty Kurrajong and a pretty little ground cover which is probably a weed.  :) 

I think the top white flower is a geraldton wax but I could be wrong. Same shape but different colour. The bees didn't care. On the right is hardenbergia which is out everywhere in the bush at the moment.  Below are violets, on the right is the native violet which doesn't have a fragrance and I thought the one on the left was some exotic, endangered plant but apparently I was looking at the wrong label.  That's one thing I was disappointed in;  lots of plants not labelled.

A BIT OF PINK EYE?

 Just recently, it seems like the flowers catching my eye the most are variations of pink. So I thought I'd share a few with you...

This camelia is from a large tree down the road. When they drop, the grass is a pink carpet.

 Perhaps not quite 'pink' compared to the others in this collection but at the time I took the shot I thought it was pink.  

 It is called 'Lavender Star' grewia occidentalis. A very sweet little flower.

 Love the colour of this tiny, climbing rose on a neighbour's fernhouse.  No idea of its name.

This pretty succulent was growing along the Maroochy River and along the foreshore at Clontarf

 And lastly, the hot pink of this ground cover is quite stunning isn't it?  All in all, I think a bit of 'pink eye' is not a bad thing...

ANIMAL CRACKERS XVII - WHAT AN OINKER!

The beautifully bright face of pigface, like this example, is very attractive to native bees as you can see. I suspect that this one is a cultivar as it seems larger and more layered that those you see growing on dunes.
Definitely one of my favourite flowers and pretty useful too if you've got scurvy, lack salt or have insect bites...

"WHAT'S THIS?" WEDNESDAY XV - PINK ICING

The first time I saw this plant I was reminded of pink icing. It is growing along a footpath not far away and looks fabulous in full flower. I would love to know the name.  I showed the photo to a nursery person, who was unable to help. Can you?


[EDIT 8/12/11 - Many thanks to Florez Nursery for educating us on this one.  It's bauhinia corymbosa and of course, now I can see the resemblance .] 

CULTIVATED WEED

Most Australians know that Lantana is a noxious weed but I've always loved it since childhood, no doubt because we had numerous cubbies in any clump of it we could find.  If my children had done the same I'd have had a heart attack. What was my mother thinking? Didn't she know snakes love the stuff too?  Fortunately, we escaped unharmed, mostly.

This pretty plant is a cultivated form of lantana which is non-thorny, produces few seeds and is compact in shape and used as ground cover in a resort style living estate I visited recently.

SWEET VIOLET

I can't help loving these Australian Native Violets, which were named after Australia's first Botanist Joseph Banks, Viola banksii.  Unlike their European cousins, they don't have a fragrance.  Some people grow them instead of lawn and others complain about them taking over their lawns!

ANIMAL CRACKERS V - CAT O' RED TAILS

Next in the Animal Crackers series is the red Cats Tail, Chenille plant or Acalypha reptans, and should be a favourite of anyone else who loves cats and chenille.  It's a very attractive ground cover and this one was growing very well under a shady tree yet I've seen some growing in full sun.  While searching for the botanical name, "cats tail plant" brought up pictures of what I know as bull rush.  Ooh! Another one for the series.

GIVE US A HAND?

At first sight I thought a naughty child had been at work, picking petals from the blue flowers of this ground cover growing in the garden of a coastal resort. On closer inspection, I could see that the 5 petals grow in the shape of a hand or glove. I've poured over various on-line gardening sites to see if I could find a name for it but, alas, no sign of any plant called "one hand clapping" or "half a daisy". Another mystery for you out there in cyber land. Pretty though isn't it?
[edit 5/6/10 - much excitement to see this plant on ABC's Garden Show this evening. Unfortunately, although they showed the plant (which wasn't a ground cover), they didn't name it. I've written to the show hoping they can provide the name. Stay tuned...]
[further edit 8/6/10 - Result! ABC Gardening Show advise Scaevola sp is its name. A Western Australian Native. There seem to be other colours and plants that are upright, one name is a 'fan flower' - prefer 'one hand clapping']