what's happening in the autumn garden


At first glance, the garden's a sea of greens and greys. In this part of the world, flowers in a native garden tend to be more subtle than showy European flowers. They're there, but they're not exactly shouting their presence.

Acacia iteaphylla
Correa pulchella


Other growing things are not flowering plants at all. Autumn is fungi time, especially after rain. It's a thrill to find delicate toadstools and sturdy mushrooms.

On some bark I found Physicia stellaris, a type of lichen, soft orange and green.


Physicia stellaris - Star Rosette Lichen
Marasmius oreades - Fairy-ring Champignon


Since this unidentified orange fungus is growing on a wooden step, I wonder whether it belongs to the family of Bracket, or Shelf fungi, a group of fungi identified by their growth form. On the other hand, it probably belongs to the Agaric family, since in shape it is more similar to members of that group.  Fungi id. is notoriously difficult. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Rainbow Fern
Rainbow Fern
Tough Rainbow Ferns are more like bracken than ferns. They don't need water although they don't like direct sunlight.

The plants in the photos below are not native to Australia, but very welcome, appreciated immigrants.

Erigeron, or Seaside Daisy
Borage
English Lavender
Foxtail Fern
Smoke Bush
Euphorbia spp. 
I'm linking this post to the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day meme in Carol's popular blog, May Dream Gardens.
 Orange Wallflower

Comments

  1. Autumn is such a peaceful time in the garden and it's nice to see your garden at this time of year while we're all crazy with the many tasks of spring!

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    1. Hi Peter, Enjoy your crazy spring gardening! I also love to see the opposite season on the other side of the world.

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  2. hope to see that Euphorbia flower, once it opens

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    1. I'll try to remember to capture it when it opens. The flowers are a bonus, but I think I value euphorbias mostly for their distinctively shaped foliage - and the colour, a bluey-grey.

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  3. I am a fan of lichens and non-flowering plants, too.

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    1. They're so interesting, and so different to flowering plants, aren't they? Lovely to hear from you, Jean.

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  4. I am also fond of fungi time. But I can't help identifying that beautiful orange one. Who has been nibbling at it?

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    1. I think of the caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland. It advised Alice that one side would make her smaller, the other bigger.

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  5. Hi Sue!
    Like you, I will always having a special fondness for the subtlety of native plants. They don't need human intervention to look beautiful.
    Having said that, in Ballarat here, I'm in quite a different gardening world, where bulbs and fruit trees are everywhere, where the meticulously-maintained Botanical Gardens, with all its emerald finery and statuary, assert an other viewpoint. I'm having to work with what I've got - ROSES! - which I'd planned to rip out, but I can't. But I bought some natives today - including some native violets - and they'll be re-asserting their presence here! By the way, I've never seen as many fungi as I have here, everywhere, in this cold, windswept landscape.

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    1. Hi dear Faisal, it is hard to imagine you tending to roses, but when I think about it roses are really hardy and have naturalized here, even if they didn't arrive until the colonial era. And some roses are so beautiful, they make me feel quite overcome with emotion. Native violets are lovely and will go well with roses. It must be wonderful to see so many fungi.

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  6. Fabulous fungi! They are amazing things. I've had some interesting ones popping up this year. Loved that Correa and your gorgeous Rainbow Fern.

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    1. Hi Bernie, I would love to see some of the fungi that pop up in your garden - tropical fungi is not something I have thought about ... the rainbow fern is fabulous, I do get a thrill when I see them unfurl.

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  7. I think creating a garden with subtle flowers is much more challenging. I have so many flowers that holler, "here I am!" all I have to do is dig a hole and stick them in. Your garden is beautiful in all its greens and grays. If you asked the wildlife, they'd tell you it's an oasis.

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    1. thanks for this, Tammy. I think every kind of garden design has its challenges. My challenge is to make the picture restful but not boring, with the hollering flowers I think the challenge is not to make the picture too raucous.

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  8. I've just written in another temperate blogger that wildflowers in temperate climate are more colorful and bigger in sizes than those we have here in tropical setting. I've been to Sydney in spring and summer and to Brisbane and Canberra again last Dec. I saw lots of wonderful plants both in gardens and in the wild. I love to photograph them too. And your finds posted here most specially the mushrooms are lovely.

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    1. thanks for this, Andrea. You've been to so many cities in Australia - I'm wondering if you have plans to come to Melbourne?

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  9. Sue I marvel at how your fall is much like our spring with flowers and fungi and natives so small and short-lived.

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    1. Hi Donna, It's so interesting comparing our different hemispheres and climates gardens.

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  10. You just gave me an idea what i have always wanted to post but still haven't done because i haven't taken good pics, what you described as "there but not advertising their presence"! Our wildflowers which we call also weeds are always there, lovely only in macro shots, there but not loudly seen.

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