Spring is in the air...

Camellias are on show, the flowering quince (above) is coming to life, the scent of pink blossom fills the air. The more constant warmth invites you into the 'outdoor room'. One can only wax lyrical at this time of the year. 

However, on the down side, and yes there is usually a down side, the wandering jew (politically incorrect I believe) and the onion weed are rampant. Months of 'laissez faire' gardening is evident and there is a lot of work to be done. Despite this I'm sure that St Fiacre, patron saint of gardeners, is smiling and I have  a renewed enthusiasm and energy to fluff up the garden. Here are some more flower pics from Kallista for you.

Note the little bird in the weeping cherry

Fun Fungi!

                                                           I know, long time no blog!

It is easy to ignore the garden in winter as the rain and cold are not really conducive to spending much time in it. Regardless there are still lots of interesting things happening, including the appearance of diverse varieties of fungi (although apparently most reveal themselves in Autumn). Kallista (as in our house & garden) is in a very damp and dark situation, opposite a creek. This makes it a perfect environment for moisture seeking fauna and flora. Having said that fungi can be found in many diverse global habitats, including deserts.

Here are some 'Fun Fungi that we located and thanks go to PK for some of these wonderful pics. 

Now, for a little background on these organisms. According to the "Australian National Botanical Gardens" website what you see in the garden is just the tip of the iceberg. Around 90% of the organism is underground and the part that you see on the surface has the function of producing and dispersing spores. The underground component, the mycelium, remains there throughout the year.

 

Fungi interact with other organisms, some in a parasitic fashion and others are beneficial to plants. As yet I haven't tried to identify ours and their relationship to their hosts except for this yellow one which I stumbled upon in the literature and our garden. It is most likely to be a Cytarria gunnii that enjoys the company of our Nothofagus (southern beech).