Flowering Canberra

We walked on Guru Bung Dhaura land today, and the site of the old Westlake Workers camp (1924-1965) in present day Yarralumla. We've walked this area before with our friends Judy and Jurgen, but today's walk was guided by the National Trust Heritage Walks people so we learnt so much more about the settlement history of this area, the woodland vegetation, and the Aboriginal heritage of the Guru Bung Dhaura. Springtime is the perfect time to see this remnant area of open woodland with its native plants and wildflowers all in bloom.

 Beautiful, delicate Indigophera Australis .........

and Box Gum open woodland... (listed as an endangered ecological community in NSW - and here it is only a 5 minutes drive from the city) .....

and a marker tree for the Ngunnawal people, at the top of the ridge, in an area of significance for "womens business".

This was looking SW out to the Brindabellas from the top of the ridge. There were lots of tiny wildflowers in amongst the grasses here.

Like my favourite Leuchocrysum Albicans (we planted these in our St Germain garden beds) ......

.. and these tiny yellow buttons .....I think these might be Button Wrinklewort which are another endangered wildflower.

There are quite a few old scar trees in this woodland too - probably over 200 years old, at least .......

and so many beautiful colours and textures in the Australian bush.......

Back at home, I am lucky to have been lent some orchids in flower for the next month or so. Our Winter Garden has been transformed into a conservatory, a constant reminder of this beautiful season. Aren't we lucky?