Christmas Bells

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Christmas Bells - Blandfordia nobilis

Monday, April 23, 2012

Magnificent Grevillea Garden

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.
Eastern Spinebill - a nice male bird.
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.

A semi-prostrate shrub with great foliage.
A large spreading shrub, this one.

Hakea laurina
A lovely creamy yellow Grevillea

Interesting red Grevillea with greyish ferny foliage
We concluded this beautiful flower is a Hakea,
because of the shape of the seed capsules.

A fine dense Grevillea shrub

Add caption
A lovely golden flowering Grevillea

A bright red Grevillea.
I bought a plant similar to this one.

A stunning citron yellow Grevillea
Another Grevillea with similar colour,
but with extremely good "form"
of horizontally held branches and flowers.
A striking Banksia tree
with interesting foliage and
amazingly long, pointed cones.
Each cone was approximately 15 inches long.


8 comments:

Margaret said...

Diversity of native plants = diversity of native fauna. What a beautiful garden. :)

Denis Wilson said...

Thanks Margaret.
It sounds obvious, doesn't it?
.
Amazing we get it wrong so often.
And then one sees it done right, and the penny drops.
.
The birds know, and they know because the insects and other invertebrates know.
.
Next year, if it is open, its well worth the trip across Sydney. It wasn't open last year. Part of the ABC Open Garden Scheme.
Cheers
Denis

Terence said...

Awesome and interesting post.

Ian said...

Looks like a garden I must try and get to see; some wongerful native plants.
I think I can help out with a few identifications.
The " creamy yellow Grevillea looks like "Moonlight" a hybrid of G.banksii and G. whiteana.
The "fine dense shrub" Grevillea "Orange Marmalade" a hybrid of G. glossodenia and G. Venusta.
The "golden Grevillea" Grevillea "Honey Gem" a hybrid of G.banksii and G. pteridifolia.
The"horizontal branched Grevillea" Grevillea " Golden Lyre" a hybrid of G "Honey Gem" and G. formosa
Some of the others have a number of similar looking hybrids.

Denis Wilson said...

Thanks Ian
We were trying to guess our way around, and many of your suggestions sound right. Thanks for the Parent Cross references.
Few plants were named, but I know that when Open Gardens name plants, (especially rare ones) people pinch the names, and also try to nick bits for cuttings.
Very nasty - that.
So I don't blame Peter Olde for not having obvious tags.
Cheers
Denis
I shall attempt to find links to the names you have suggested, on other Grevillea sites. And where I can I will add in live links.
Many thanks
Denis

Peter Olde said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Denis Wilson said...

Peter Olde, the creator of this magnificent garden, has left the following comment on my blog.
.
"Thank you all for your kind comments. Labelling is a big issue and a major undertaking on a large garden. In three months different plants are in flower. Labels fade. It's a thankless job and can look a bit like a school garden or botanic garden.
The plants you have photographed are"
Grevillea 'Tango'
Hakea laurina
Grevillea 'Golden Yul-lo'
Grevillea thyrsoides subsp. pustulata
Hakea bucculenta
Grevillea 'Orange Marmalade'
Grevillea 'Birdsong'
Grevillea 'Honey Wonder'
Grevillea 'Goliath' aka 'Red Rover'
Grevillea 'Bush Lemons'
Grevillea 'Golden Lyre'
Banksia grandis

Denis Wilson said...

Many thanks, Peter for leaving your helpful comment.
I will note the names on my Blog.
.
More importantly, on behalf of the people able to visit your garden (and on behalf of the birds), many thanks for establishing such a wonderful garden.
Denis Wilson