a winters walk ....

Here we are in the middle of winter, but every now and then we actually do get a nice day ... nice enough to put on a jacket and go for a walk that is.....

with the camera!

so here are a few captures of what I saw on yesterday's walk...

above: this is moss sitting in between the pavement.

  
above: tiny purple flowers outside the school

above: yellow flowers blowing in the breeze!

above: an old fence, full of this bush, hiding these tiny berries.

 

above: lovely colourful leaves and berries against a tin shed.

above: there are always daisies somewhere, dead and alive!

above: strange green shrub with white, furry bits on the leaves!

above: blue daisies

above: white daisies spreading out over the pathway!

above: I think I have captured every colour available in a daisy by now!

above: I did spy, high up above me, a flowering gum.

Now I thought they flowered about January / February and was surprised to see this example.

Then I found out there are probably more winter flowering gums in the southwest of the country where winter rainfall makes it the season of plenty, but winter flowerers occur all around Australia, in a myriad of colours.

At a conservative estimate, there are over 900 species and subspecies of eucalypts in Australia. They make up the very essence of 'the bush'. Generally the mass of olive foliage overpowers the distinct, star-like flowers of eucalypts.

But at certain times of the year, gum trees burst into vivid pink, red, yellow, orange, purple or white flowers. Many of them spread their colours in spring and summer, counting on attracting the fresh influx of insects brought by the warmer weather.

Insects also pollinate some late autumn and winter flowering species.

But come winter, there are fewer insects to transfer the pollen of eucalypts, and the winter flowerers turn instead to the birds, and the mammals.

With all this beautiful foliage around to brighten up the coldest winter walk, there's little excuse for not getting out and checking the winter flowers. After all, the birds and the bees do it, so why can't we?

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