Saturday, May 5, 2012

TODAY'S FLOWERS - Desert Delights

Although it is autumn here, the arid lands still had flowers to be found due to the wonderfully rain rich season they have enjoyed. All these I bagged on an afternoon walk on the sparsely vegetated rocky hills at Wirrealpa Station in the North Flinders Ranges of South Australia.


A rugged little Cassia bush


 and the tiniest little Morning Glory vineI have ever seen, 
winding it's way across a Blue Bush. The flowers were a quarter of an inch across!


A different and larger Cassia bush complete with glowing, almost
golden seed pods, growing near a creek bed.


A feast for the eyes and the weary walker, these little glowing saltbush berries
are wonderful to snack on. This particular variety was translucent and very sweet
whereas in other places the berries are deep red, tarter and sometimes quite salty.
They vary from one bush to another depending on the mineral content of the soil.

If you enlarge the picture you will also see minute, pale yellow flowers on the
branch above the berries. The berries themselves are just short of a quarter of an
inch across but drop into your hand at a touch.


Just see how complex these miniature saltbush flowers are!

It just goes to show that wonders big and small can be found anywhere
if we but look.

23 comments:

  1. i really like the 2nd shot of the pink bloom against the fuzzy white bush. very pretty. nice surprises for you.

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  2. You had a nice walk. You are right - So much to amaze us if we just pay attention. I've never heard of a Saltbush and thank you for the info and the pics.
    nellie

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  3. Grand variety here! Lovely captures.

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  4. "Desert” suggests a barren place, but you showed many beauties and wonders. When our mind is occupied with something, we often miss these beauties. I’d like to open wide the eye of my heart.

    Yoko

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  5. Thank you. I loved this walk with you. I have never tried Saltbush berries. Those looked particularly succulent.
    And yes, a gardener or a birder can certainly find beauty everywhere.

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  6. The late season blooms seem like an even more special gift, especially when accompanied by sweet berries.

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  7. Inland South Australia has been on my list for a while - esp The Flinders Ranges. I need to get organised!

    Cheers - Stewart M

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  8. I love seeing your desert flowers since I don't live in a desert climate and very few of them do well here.

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  9. I love that blue bush which to me looks white, it looks so unusual. But of course Australia has a lot of unique organisms found only in your old continent...Andrea

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  10. thanks for sharing your lovely flowers with us! very beautiful :)

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  11. Oh yes..you are into fall...It may be a long winter for you this year..I am sending hugs and hopefully I will have some beautiful flowers to share on my blog ..hugs..Michelle

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  12. Habe gerade einen Spaziergang durch deinen Blog gemacht. Er gefällt mir sehr.
    Liebe Grüße nach Australien
    Irmgard

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  13. What a lovely post Arija. I enjoyed learning about your flowers and especially those berries, I've never heard of them. That tiny Morning Glory is adorable. What treasures you found on your walk.

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  14. I can see why you enjoy photography so much. It is very soothing for the soul. It makes one aware of everything and paying attention to minute things as well as the whole world. It makes you so alive!!! Tsup!

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  15. I would really love to taste those berries. They look like caviar! I don't like caviar, but I'm sure I could eat an entire bush of those berries. Lovely, dainty beauties!

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  16. i love knowing what wild plants are edible! thank you for sharing this.

    thank you also for your heartfelt message about my grandmother. sending you love and light for your sister as well.

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  17. Gorgeous photos! You can find beauty anywhere--you just need to keep your eyes and heart open. You do that very well!

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  18. You had a wonderful walk Arija. I so love all the cool plants and flowers you share with us.

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