Mount Tomah Botanic Garden (2013)

Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera)

If you’re making your annual trip to the “Plants With Bite” Display and Fair at the Mount Tomah Botanic Garden in the Blue Mountains, you really should take some time to walk through the gardens as well, especially if the weather is good. The place is beautifully maintained and full of interesting plants and wildlife.

These photos are the result of an hour’s walk-and-stalk. Weather: warm and very slightly hazy, with high cloud and bright sunlight.

There is something in my garden, and it is eating

Roma/Cherry tomato hybrid

This is the last remaining ripe tomato on my plant this morning. Yesterday: approximately 10 ripe and ripening tomatoes. Today: 1.

Road trip with lighthouses #2: Coffs Harbour and surrounds

Smoky Cape Lighthouse, Hat Head National Park

10 October 2012

We started off early for Coffs Harbour, with a side trip to South West Rocks and the Smoky Cape Lighthouse.

“Plants With Bite” 2012, Mount Tomah

Cephalotus follicularis

This year’s Plants With Bite show at Mount Tomah took place, if I remember correctly, in the first two weeks of March.

The lovely four-year-old seed-grown Cephalotus follicularis above was sold within half an hour of being put on display. I should know; I bought it.

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Bobbin Head, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is part of the Hawkesbury River system and in fact is where the Hawkesbury meets the sea. These photos are from a short day trip I made to this location.

Yellow

Honey bee (Apis mellifera)

Today’s post is brought to you by the colour yellow.

Wentworth Falls and the Blue Mountains Drive

A view from Jamisons Lookout, Wentworth Falls

A very short visit to Cape Solander

Cape Solander, NSW

The Kamay Botany Bay National Park comprises the two headlands at the entrance to Botany Bay, La Perouse in the north and Kurnell in the south.

Cape Solander on the Kurnell Peninsula is named after Swedish botanist Daniel Solander who arrived with James Cook’s expedition on 19 April 1770.

Carnivorous plants in macro

Cephalotus follicularis

These are the first few pictures taken with my new Sigma 50mm macro lens. Hooray!

Sarracenia leucophylla

Flower of Sarracenia leucophylla

Last year I photographed Sarracenia flava flowers pre- and post-pollination, and again much later at harvest time.

This year S. flava was too exhausted to produce any flowers, but S. leucophylla stepped into the breach. And what lovely blooms it had, with deep red petals.