Flora

Statistics from Tourism and Events Queensland unveil a fresh milestone for the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers in total attendance, with a record-breaking figure of 417,517 - an impressive 14 per cent surge compared to the 2022 results.

Ian Hutton. This month’s orchid is aptly named the Christmas orchid because its flowers are often out around Christmas ... Calanthe australasica is a tall evergreen herbaceous plant, with a rosette of four to nine dark green leaves...

As the vibrant colours of spring blossom around us, Richmond Landcare is reaching out to the community with an urgent plea: investigate your backyard and help us uncover the rare and endangered Rosewood Mistletoe – Amyema plicatula.

Kerry Cain. Local Judy Streeter has waited 12 years for her Gymea Lily to bloom. When Judy purchased the lily, she was told it would never grow in Maldon. 

Not to be missed this Sunday (15 October) is the Maldon & Baringhup Agricultural Show, which runs from 9am to 4pm (with free entertainment for the children starting at 10am) at the Maldon racecourse ... The [Tarrangower] Times caught up with Kristina Forbes last weekend, who was in the process of finalising arrangements for entries into six (that’s right, six!) categories of the floral art section of the Show.

Geoff Park. I recently watched an excellent short video by PBS Eons on the rise of ants and the importance of flowering plants in the story ... This increase [of ants] seems to parallel the rise of flowering plants, a rise which involved many symbiotic relationships ... These complex relationships were very apparent to me as I wandered around the bush at our place, camera in hand.

The delightful country garden at St Mary’s Vineyard with its hundreds of roses and many dry-stone walls is a fitting location for the annual Limestone Coast Plant and Trade Fair ... Over the years plants and bulbs suitable for the soil and climate have been planted and now hundreds of roses, bulbs, iris, hardy perennials, trees and shrubs surround the classic homestead and outbuildings, adding colour and texture throughout the year.

Known for its soothing fragrance and myriad of applications, lavender has emerged as a versatile and sought-after plant that is thriving across Australia.

Adair Dunsford. With Spring in the air, the Naracoorte Art Gallery is supporting the local show this year with a targeted floral art workshop. Two designs from the Show catalogue will feature in an afternoon session with former florist, Lisa Caon on Saturday October 7.

This past weekend, the Kerang Memorial Hall hosted the annual show of the Mid-Murray Orchid Club. The event was a visual and olfactory delight with stunning colours and fragrances that could rival any high-end perfume. 

Meet the Immortal River Red Gum – a heritage-listed tree on the Mallee Dam Road, adjoining Mount Elgin Swamp. It’s one of the thickest, tallest, and oldest River Red Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in Victoria and can be found 13 km south of Nhill. The National Trust estimates the tree is about 400 years old and has been listed as a significant tree because it is particularly old and because of its outstanding size.

Today is the first day of spring in Australia, a day we celebrate as national Wattle Day ... we use today to celebrate a wonderful species that is, with a few exceptions, unique to our landscape. But to professional foresters, a recognition of wattles only reminds us of the deleterious effects of changed land management practices after millions of hectares of actively managed state forests have been converted to reserves since the 1990s. The effects have been compounded by massive wildfires that have occurred over that time.

Ian Hutton. Pterostylis orchids are ground herbs that exist for most of the year as an underground tuber, and in season develop small flat leaves in a rosette at the base of a long stem that has a single flower develop at the top. The genus name refers to the winged appearance of the flower parts.

Thoughts are turning to the return of Spring in Wingecarribee with Tulip Time Tickets now on sale. Entry to the daytime event is free for residents who need only book tickets to see Tulips After Dark.

Henle Gardens is a lavender farm and garden business that resides on a stunning 17 acres just on the outskirts of Maldon, and its blossoming life sprung from a brush with death. Just three years ago, farm founder Joshua Ruff peered beyond the veil of mortality and returned with some hard-to-come-by wisdom.

A celebration took place over the weekend as the enthusiastic gardener enjoyed viewing a beautiful exhibit of orchids from around the world in Kerang for the 22nd Victorian Country Orchid Clubs Challenge. Ten displays with an average of 50 plants made their way to the Kerang Basketball Stadium, supported by the sharing of gardening knowledge and commercial stalls. 

The original ‘Australian Garden’ exhibit, created by Designer Phillip Johnson, Horticulturalist Wes Fleming and the Trailfinders Team, was the first Australian entry to win Gold and Best in Show at the London Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show in 2013.

Both native bees and honeybees prefer native plants with research showing how important native flowers are in supporting native bee and even honeybee populations in urban areas. Curtin University school of molecular and life sciences researcher Kit Prendergast said the study found Australian and introduced bees preferred to visit and feed from native flowers and plants rather than exotic species, with the former particularly reliant on native flora.

Do you want the chance to witness stunning wildflowers in bloom and learn why they are so special? Then mark your calendar for Monday, July 3, to book a spot at the Sunshine Coast Wildflower Festival, with guided walks running from Saturday, August 19, to Sunday, September 3, from Bribie Island to Noosa.

John O'Donnell reviews eucalypt decline and dieback in relation to the lack of low intensity fire management across Australia. John considers that exclusion of frequent low intensity mild fire is the primary cause of eucalypt decline in Australian native forests and woodlands and this has been inadequately recognised ... This lack of recognition is in itself a major environmental issue and ignores up to 60,000 years of Aboriginal burning practices across the landscape.

Friends of the Corryong Wetlands recently conducted a tree planting day as part of its native flora re-vegetation project ... we were greatly surprised and encouraged when 19 turned up! "We would like to say a big thank you to everybody who participated": project coordinator, John Murphy.

A gorgeous new flower has been named in honour of DBCA Midwest Flora Conservation Officer Alanna Chant. The striking red bloom occurs only in a handful of areas in WA’s Midwest (Mullewa, Morawa, Canna).