Bottlebrush Season

When we arrived home after 5 weeks overseas, the bottlebrushes (Callistemon citrinus)were in full bloom. We have a small one planted in the garden, but it is not nearly as spectacular as these ones planted along the Great Western Highway that links the Blue Mountains with Sydney.



While I was admiring them an elderly gentleman with a distinct resemblance to Santa Claus appeared, and told me he had been instrumental in getting the Roads Authority to plant them when they upgraded this particular stretch. He had augmented their efforts with some of his own along the edge of his property, and allowed me to take a photo of him with the beautiful results.



The yellow flowers are Coreopsis grandiflora, which grows wild along the railway lines and roadsides in much of New South Wales. In our area there is a rumour that seeds were deliberately scattered by a train traveller, who no doubt saw herself as an antipodean Miss Rumphius. (If you don't know who Miss Rumphius is, your childhood education is sadly lacking. Googling her name will help you out.)