Welcome to Summer!
Today also marks the first day of the indigenous season known as Birak, one of six seasons in the year. Birak is a time of flowering for many plants, as a response to spring rains and warmer weather.
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| Visit Federation Walkway in Kings Park to learn more about indigenous culture |
It seems to make more sense to me that we should follow the indigenous seasons, as these describe our natural surroundings much better than the northern-hemisphere-focused four seasons. But I digress...
The next few weeks will see an explosion of yellow and white flowers in our bushland. My garden, too, boasts a riot of fluorescent orange flowers, namely Morrison Featherflower (Verticordia nitens).
This gorgeous verticordia should be the emblem of the northern suburbs. It has distinctive umbrella-shaped flower heads, and the stunning colour is echoed in the flowers of the WA Christmas Tree (Nuytsia floribunda). A great place to see these wildflowers is Whiteman Park, and the drive along Lord Street or Beechboro Road is often a richly rewarding experience.
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| Morrison Featherflower (Verticordia nitens) in bushland |
Once upon a year, such flowers existed by the acre and were collected for Perth's flower markets, as were many other native species across the South West.
