Spring Delights

 Every couple of years we visit the nearby Nangawooka Flora Reserve to see the glorious display of spring flowers - and we weren't disappointed with this year's visit. The winter rains were generous and there was lots to see.

The reserve is beautifully laid out with wide paths circling the area and smaller ones snaking off in all directions, making us eager to explore further. 

I'm always eager to see the wonderfully weird and intriguing native plants we have, and this grevillea I spotted early on is no exception.

While there are a number of plants I'm not familiar with, many of the floral gems are well-known ones and I'm sure many people have them growing in their gardens.  But they are all beautifully cared for and have easy-to-read name signs. Here are a few - a melaleuca, another grevillea, a bottlebrush and a native hibiscus (alyogyne, a Western Australian native).

We wandered on.

I loved this exuberant display.

Can you spot the bee?

Time for a rest.

I was intrigued by this plant. It's a kunzea ambigua, part of the myrtle family and mostly found in south-eastern Australia (NSW, Vixtoria and Tasmania).  A bit of trivia I discovered when looking up this plant is that it was one of the very first species of Australian plants to be introduced into cultivation in England. I can't recall seeing it before today. Here it is overhanging the path.

And a closer look.

I love seeing spots of yellow ...

And some pink ones.

Steve was enjoying himself experimenting with lenses and exposures. 

Here are some of his efforts.

How wonderful it was to wander the paths and discover the diverse colours and forms of our precious native flowers, hearing varied bird songs, breathing in the fresh air, soaking up the warmth of a sun we haven't seen for months, and all under a cloudless blue sky. What more could we want. 

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