The golden bloom of the winter flowering wattle trees is an indication that spring is just around the corner, but spring time in Western
Australia is also heralded by the buzz of the blowflies gathering at the flyscreens that guard each window and door. ‘Close the door!’ is a
regular reminder from parents to energetic children racing in and out.
As the piccaninny dawn fades, the magpies carol ‘good morning’, the ravens caa-aack in the eucalyptus trees and the honey eaters fly in to
check out the latest blossoms on the grevilleas, hibiscus, bottlebrush and other nectar rich flowers. The Indian doves build yet another flimsy
nest on a wispy tree branch - most won’t survive the high winds of spring – and the wagtails chitter chitter on the lawn as they search for bugs
and insects.
By midmorning, tiny lizards are sunbaking on the warm surfaces of driveways, fences, tree stumps and window frames and the blue tongue
goannas lurk under the bushes. Though perfectly harmless and less than ten inches long, they’re a daunting sight when on the defensive – wide
open mouth sporting a dark blue tongue set against a watermelon pink throat. Both lizards and goannas are cold blooded and like nothing
more than to sunbake on a warm, flat surface. Roads are favourite spots and the mortality rate high.
When the day cools, the pink and grey galahs and green and yellow ringneck parrots squabble over the dandelion buds growing on the road
verges and overhead, flocks of ageing black cockatoos head back to their roosts in the pine trees.
Spring is also the time we are reminded to ‘slip, slop, slap’ to protect against sun damage, and for allergy sufferers, the daily pollen count is
often more important than the weather forecast.
The Australian continent is probably the oldest on earth and has more than 6,000 species of unique wildflowers that attracts visitors from all
over the world. The best accommodation, coach and rail tours have been booked out months ago - some visitors even book for the next
year as they leave – and newspapers publish regular updates on where to find the best display in the various regions.
Those who are unable to venture far from the city head for Kings Park where the annual Wildflower Festival showcases the best of the best,
with mass plantings of about 24,000 potted annuals and 2000 flowering trees. Each year the theme is different and as 2002 is designated the
Year of the Outback, the display includes damper, a billabong and camping gear.
Other attractions include floral art, bush bands, botanical art and craft sales, a bush poet and talks by horticultural experts. Fashion students
dress mannequins in WA plant material and the science exhibits include smoke technology and plant genetics.
Plants and flowers for sale – in this dry continent where water is precious, native species are an excellent choice for suburban gardens, and
smoke bush, paper daisies and banksias have a long life as cut flowers. And for those visitors (local, interstate and overseas) who’d like to
try their hand at growing kangaroo paws, hakeas, Qualup bells and many other wildflowers, seeds are also for sale.
www.burkesbackyard.com.au has some excellent photos of flowers in the bush. Make sure you’re looking at the page for 20 Sep 02 then scroll down to WA Wildflowers and open it.
Sue Winter was born in England but has lived in Perth, Western Australia since 1952. Now that she’s retired she has time
to indulge in her hobbies of genealogy, travel, writing and showing visitors around her home state.
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