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Monday, 19 September 2011

Where the wild orchids grow - Western Australia

We have a small patch of bush near our home that separates the houses from the main road. I have written about it here before - Wildflowers are starting to bloom

Every year the wild orchids and other wildflowers put on their spring display and I go there to photograph them. Sadly every year I see more invasive weeds taking over, but the delicate wild orchids still manage to push up through the weeds.

I love walking in the Australia bush - it is so peaceful and rejuvenating. So it is lovely to have this little pocket of bush near my home. I hope you have somewhere where you can walk in the bush near you. 


In this mosaic, going from left to right across each row, you can see -

White Spider Orchid, Leek Orchid, Purple Tassels, Milk Maids, Purple Mat Rush
Dampiera, Rush Cotton Heads, Running Postman, Cowslip Orchids, Wild Violet
Donkey Orchid, Mangles Kangaroo Paw (Red Kangaroo Paw), Pink Fairy, one of the Pea family, White Spider Orchid.

Here is a closer view of the Leek Orchid "Prasophythum" of which there are over 25 different species in Western Australia.


And the delicate little Donkey Orchid - "Diuris" of which there are 20 species in Western Australia. So I couldn't hope to clearly identify this one.


The White Spider Orchid - "Caladenia longicauda". There are many varieties of White Spider Orchids - so I am no botanist, I can't clearly identify which variety this is.



 And our Western Australian floral emblem, the Red Kangaroo Paw, Mangles Kangaroo Paw - "Anigozanthos manglesii"


A wildflower guide is essential if you enjoy wildflower photography or just exploring a bush path. The two I have used for this post are - 
Guide to Native Orchids of South Western Australia - by Bob Liddlelow - R&R Publications Australia Pty Ltd
Colour Guide to Spring Wildflowers of Western Australia - Part 2 Perth and the South West - by Eddy Wajon - Wajon Publishing Company. (currently a set of 4 books covering two thirds of WA)
I hope you have enjoyed this little walk in my bush block with me.
I cherish your comments, so I look forward to hearing from you. Have a wonderful week.
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8 comments:

  1. Pondside19 September 2011 at 09:46

    No wonder you enjoy your walks so much - such a lot to see underfoot. I love to see the flora from other parts of the world.

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  2. BernieH19 September 2011 at 10:02

    They are simply stunning! You are so lucky to have this fabulous piece of bushland to wander through. Unfortunately the bushland around us is not conducive to wandering ... too much horrid Lantana, far too many Chonky Apple Bushes, very tall sharp grass and snakes!

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  3. Mary19 September 2011 at 10:30

    Sadly for me, the bush is half a world away! So I am very happy that you have shared your beautiful images here, Jill. xoxo

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  4. Teacup-In-The-Garden19 September 2011 at 12:08

    What a wonderful mosaic, this flowers are great, thanks for sharing!
    Markus

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  5. Gardening in a Sandbox19 September 2011 at 19:24

    Gorgeous mosaic and photos of the orchids. What a treat to see. V

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  6. black eyed susans kitchen19 September 2011 at 22:56

    This mosaic is just fantastic...I love how exotic all of the blooms are!

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  7. Ingmarie We20 September 2011 at 21:01

    Stunning photos and lovely mosaics. How wonderful to have so many different orchids.

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  8. g-clix22 September 2011 at 17:00

    absolutely beautiful photographs! if I may ask, what kind of camera do you use? thanks for sharing these gorgeous images . . .

    ReplyDelete

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