Pasture Renovations

Some of you may remember from waaaaay back at seeding time that we had enough time and the right seasonal conditions to tackle the renovation of a few pastures/putting in potential fodder crops. During my walk this morning (which was like walking twice the distance in this horrific wind) I noticed that the crop near the house is looking pretty spiffy. Finally! The Barley has had a few troubles with root lesion nematodes and as such hasn't really performed as well as we'd hoped. When farming there is ALWAYS something we can or could have done better and unfortunately this crop was one of them. However, it's starting to look a little healthier and we still have some options for spring sowing if we want to. I'm getting off track though! I wanted to show you the difference between Barley and Oats, and what better way to do that than with a picture of a paddock with both types of crop in it! 

See the dark green patch feeding in from the right? That is the Oats and the lighter green is the Barley. Oats generally grow straight up and drop their 'heads' over when they mature. When I say 'head' I mean the top section of the plant that holds the actual grain. (Rest assured there will be plenty of harvest pictures for those of you that are curious.) Whereas Barley tends to spread as it is growing, this means Barley often looks like a carpet across the paddock while you can still see down the rows of an Oat paddock. For a little while at any rate. So there you have it the difference between Oats and Barley. If you have any questions, feel free to comment. Oh, and if we grew wheat I would show you that to but we haven't done that in quite some time. 

Wildflowers - Take 2

So, I promised more photos and here they are! The Spider Orchids are starting to come out in full force and the first of the Kangaroo Paws are emerging. The bush is absolutely beautiful to wander through with the spring smell in the air. You just have to pick the time of day when the mosquitoes are hiding! I won't keep you from the pretty pictures any longer! :)

Some of the gorgeous bush daisies out at the moment, there are literally fields of these in the bush!

The infamous Kangaroo Paw. You absolutely cannot miss these colours as you walk through the bush.

The Rosy-Cheeked Donkey Orchid, I know it doesn't look that different from the Purple Pansy Orchid in my last post but you'll notice the 'ears' are positioned slightly differently and the colouring is its distinguishing feature.

These three are all the same kind of Spider Orchid and they present beautifully when they grow in threes as shown top left. After copious hunting I have discovered this one closest resembles the Hills White Spider Orchid. It is honestly astounding how many different varieties of Spider Orchid there are. 

Another of the Silky Blue Orchid, these ones were out a different section of bush and have a slightly different hue to them. It's amazing how each area of bush helps each orchid develop its own characteristics.

This is a larger Trigger Orchid and I took great delight in setting it off just so you could see what happens!

These are from another section of bush again and were in an incredibly tight cluster! I have been hunting through the Orchid books we have here and I haven't managed to find anything that exactly resembles it but I think this is a Pansy Orchid. Feel free to correct me if anyone knows otherwise! 

Last one! When this blooms it opens out into a soft yellow orchid, known as a Lemon Scented Sun Orchid or the Vanilla Orchid. These ones are very sweet and simple compared to the intricacies of some of the other orchids.

I hope you enjoy the pics and maybe manage to go and have a bit of bush walk and discover some for yourself. Until the next installment.

Wildflower Season - Pictures Galore!

So, for those of you who aren't into flowers, gardening or growing things prepare to discover some of the most intricate wonders that this land has to offer. Every year from mid August through to late September Mother Nature puts on a pretty spectacular show for us. Some of the wildflowers in my area are so well camouflaged you almost stand on them! Others are bright and stand out from the roadside. All of them are beautiful, and some of them even provide great enjoyment. If you're an orchid fan you'll know what I'm talking about when I mention Trigger Orchids..

Orchids in general have three petals and three sepals. When looking at them it basically looks like they have 5 petals and a 'tongue' to attract insects for pollination. The designs they have on this 'tongue' are delicate, striking, and enticing. All to aid with attracting the pollinators! They usually begin from a leaf on the ground, just a single leaf, and they stem up from that. So if you go for a wildflower wander be careful not to step on the ground leaves and the only tip I have is this. Move slowly and get down on a different level, you'll be surprised what you notice from a different vantage point.

So, let me introduce a few of my favourites! :)

The Spider Orchid - There are countless variations in colour and size and each have their own name. If I'm lucky I'll get to show you the Blood Spider Orchid.

The Dwarf Pink Fairy Orchid - These come out in very different soil types to the Spider Orchid (which can usually be found beneath White Gums), generally in slightly gravelly areas. Unlike some orchids these often come out in tens at a time in one area.

Ordinarily I would have called this a Donkey Orchid. As I discovered today it is actually a Purple Pansy Orchid, always pays to do your research! They do look very similar, their colouring is quite different though.

This is a Silky Blue Orchid. Before today I had never seen one of these but I stopped to take a walk through a patch of bush I'm not near very often. Always pays to live on the land and get off the beaten track. These were everywhere and absolutely stunning!

The Cow Slip Orchid, these are a little more like the Dwarf Pink Fairy Orchid in that they come out in droves.

The thoroughly entertaining Trigger Orchid. These can be white or pink and anywhere from the size of your little fingernail to the size of your big toe. Why are they called a Trigger Orchid you may ask? Any child can tell you the answer, when you take a small twig and poke it into the centre of the flower it 'triggers'. Many of the orchids are designed to trap insects and the intricacies of their traps provided great amusement as a kid. Waiting for them to reset so we could have round two, not so much fun...

If you like these then stay tuned. I can guarantee I will take far to many photos to add to my ridiculously large library of orchid shots. ;) With any luck I will be able to show you some of the following: Jug Orchid, Donkey Orchid, Purple Enamel Orchid, Dragon Orchid, some other variations of the Spider Orchid, Sun Orchid, and if it decides to let us find it the Hammer Orchid. Not to mention the Kangaroo and Cat Paws that WA is known for. Hopefully I get to go for an adventure into the Stirling Ranges and look at a completely different cross section of orchids. Either way, you can look forward to an inundation of orchid photos! Life on the Land - It never fails to provide me with a wonderous beauty.