On Sunday I had the pleasure of visiting Peter Olde's Grevillea garden at 140 Russell Lane, Oakdale, near Nattai. I went with fellow Orchid enthusiasts and Native plant lovers, Christine, and Ken and Leonie.
The display of plants was remarkable, consisting mostly of Grevilleas, but certainly not exclusively so. There were unusual Hakeas, and Banksias as well as many fine Eucalypts and many, many other unusual Native plants, and even some exotics.
Unfortunately, not many plants were labelled, or readily identifiable (to us) as many were hybrid varieties, it seems. However, a great garden can simply be enjoyed, just like an Art Gallery, by feasting one's eyes on the treasures on display.
One point to note was that native birds were everywhere.
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| Eastern Spinebill - a nice male bird. |
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| A Red-browed Finch in a Grevillea bush. |
There were many Red-browed Finches, Superb Fairy-wrens, and Honeyeaters, of at least 5 species (Eastern Spinebills, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters, Noisy Miners, and Red Wattlebirds), Magpies, Mudlarks, Kookaburras, Scrubwrens, Willie Wagtails, Grey Fantails, plus some waterbirds on and around the dams. As Ken commented at the time, plant Natives and the birds will come.
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A semi-prostrate shrub with great foliage.
A large spreading shrub, this one. |
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| Hakea laurina |
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| A lovely creamy yellow Grevillea |
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| Interesting red Grevillea with greyish ferny foliage |
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We concluded this beautiful flower is a Hakea,
because of the shape of the seed capsules. |
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| A fine dense Grevillea shrub |
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| A lovely golden flowering Grevillea |
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A bright red Grevillea.
I bought a plant similar to this one. |
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| A stunning citron yellow Grevillea |
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Another Grevillea with similar colour,
but with extremely good "form"
of horizontally held branches and flowers. |
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A striking Banksia tree
with interesting foliage and
amazingly long, pointed cones.
Each cone was approximately 15 inches long. |
