wildflowers – Pelican Yoga

Wireless Hill – feathers & flower spikes (#1 of 3)

Published October 30, 2024 by Pelidoug

Wireless Hill – feathers & flower spikes (#1 of 3)

This little series celebrates a favourite place, as it was on Sunday, 27 October 2024 – our first fully-waking day after our return to home turf.

(coming soon to Pelican Yoga: a teaser-series devoted to two contrasting parts of Indonesia. One is very sparsely populated. The other is “our” planet’s most-populous large island )

”European” calendars suggest it is still springtime in Perth.

In fact, the world’s greatest substantial-city, entirely-natural springtime flower-show ended some weeks ago.

Here, however, some wonderful plants are in flower at any time of year…plants which naturally occur only in WA’s southwest.

This post’s hero is one of them.

“Father’s Day” 2024, in Hollywood (#2 in series: pink fairies)

Published October 25, 2024 by Pelidoug

“Father’s Day” 2024, in Hollywood (#2 in series: pink fairies)

Caladenia latifolia – generally known as “pink fairy orchids”, or simply “pink fairies” – are not endemic to southwest Western Australia.

They also naturally occur in other southern Australian places, including Tasmania.

In my (totally “unscientific”) experience, as someone who has lived on both sides of the Nullarbor, they appear to be much more “common”/easily-seen in southwest WA than anywhere else I have been.

The pictured ones were among more than a few that were flowering in Hollywood Reserve on 01.09.2024.

“Father’s Day” 2024, in Hollywood (#1 in series: Hakea)

Published October 24, 2024 by Pelidoug

“Father’s Day” 2024, in Hollywood (#1 in series: Hakea)

In January 2022 parts of Hollywood were devastated by a very fierce (i.e. hot) fire.

You didn’t hear about it?

My beloved and I have visited Hollywood many times, but the only bit of Los Angeles that we have directly “enjoyed” is its godawful airport.

We harbour no desire to set foot in the famous/infamous Hollywood, but are very fond of the petite, not-famous Hollywood Reserve.

This choice patch of inner-urban bushland sits “right next door” to one of Australia’s major cemeteries.

Spring in Perth, 2024 (in “winter”)

Published August 28, 2024 by Pelidoug

Spring in Perth, 2024 (in “winter”)

Pelican Yoga briefly interrupts its ongoing celebration of autumn 2024 on the Coorong, to celebrate the arrival of spring, in Perth.

Western Australian wildflowers are not fussed about calendars, nor European-derived notions of “the four seasons”.

Four days before the alleged end of winter, in Shenton Bushland it was abundantly evident that spring had already “sprung”.

Kangaroo Paws are now easy to see, as are some (not all, yet) of the “spring-flowering” orchids.

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Winter light, Flinders Ranges, 05/06/2023 (#18 in series: “bush tomato”, Stokes Hill)

Published August 6, 2024 by Pelidoug

Winter light, Flinders Ranges, 05/06/2023 (#18 in series: “bush tomato”, Stokes Hill)

Whilst rotating through the full 360 degrees, and admiring/photographing splendid vistas in every direction, one should also pay attention to whatever is immediately in front of one’s feet…

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“Landscape” view/ much closer view (#17B in series: Fitzgerald River NP)

Published May 30, 2024 by Pelidoug

“Landscape” view/ much closer view (#17B in series: Fitzgerald River NP)

This series final chapter reveals the identity of the “red flecks” in the preceding post’s landscape view.

There’s no finer location in which to experience the two relevant species in their natural state than Fitzgerald River National Park’s East Mount Barren.

If you wish to enjoy a natural experience of them (both species are now popular with gardeners) the only places where you can have that experience are all in or near to Fitzgerald River National Park.

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Midwinter on the Fleurieu’s southern edge: blooming (with musical bonus)

Published January 18, 2024 by Pelidoug

Midwinter on the Fleurieu’s southern edge: blooming (with musical bonus)

In Australian places with a Mediterranean-type climate, Spring is “wildflower season”.

However, in virtually any patch of quasi-natural “bush” – most especially, where the soils are sandy and “poor” – at least some species will be flowering, whenever you visit.

Deep Creek National Park’s stringybark forest is one such place.

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October 30 2023: Darling Range flora, “up close” (#20: series’ final chapter)

Published December 30, 2023 by Pelidoug

October 30 2023: Darling Range flora, “up close” (#20: series’ final chapter)

If you browse the internet, looking for “mulla mulla”, you soon realise that many Australians mistakenly think that Ptilotus exaltatus is the only such species.

Ptilotus exaltatus – commonly known as “pink mulla mulla” – is likely the best-known; it is notably tall/large, and has probably the widest range, naturally occurring in “poor” soil in not-very-wet places, across much of the Australian continent.

It is, however, far from the only kind of mulla mulla.

Ptilotus exaltatus is not even the only kind of pink mulla mulla.

This post’s pink-tipped hero – Ptilotus manglesii – is more petite, and its blooms are usually ground-huggers.

Arguably, Ptilotus manglesii is even more beautiful than its “exalted” cousin.

Its natural range is within WA’s southwest, only.

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October 30 2023: Darling Range flora, “up close” (#19 in series)

Published December 29, 2023 by Pelidoug

October 30 2023: Darling Range flora, “up close” (#19 in series)

Thysanotus is a genus within the asparagus family.

All but one of its 50 known species are native to Australia.

45 of them occur in Western Australia alone, and most of those exist only in particular parts of WA’s southwest.

They are generally known as “fringe lilies”

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October 30 2023: Darling Range flora, “up close” (#18 in series)

Published December 28, 2023 by Pelidoug

October 30 2023: Darling Range flora, “up close” (#18 in series)

I think that the featured image’s “bee” is a bee, and also a member of one of the bigger of Australia’s many native bee species.

At 2.15 pm on 30 October 2023 the sun had been shining brightly for six hours or more, so it is probably safe to assume that I was photographing a “working bee”.

However, s/he just might have been a late-awakening “sleeping bee”; some native bees shelter inside flowers that “close” overnight, and whenever else there is an absence of bright sunlight and warmth.

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Tag: wildflowers