Hair ties / Rubber bands

 The collection of hair ties and rubber bands gathered as I move through the catchment is slowly but surely growing.

Black Saturday wristband....

This book is fantastic, mostly for the gorgeous photographs which make identification for the layperson easy, but also because everything in there is local to this area... limiting confusion. It is a nice adjunct to the Victorian Indigenous Nurseries Co-operative, where I spent an hour in the rain yesterday. (see Back-yard reveg post) on this blog.

Back yard re-veg

 Our back yard has been a weed haven since last October. Plans for veggie patches never quite happen, so finally I have decided that the garden can act as a 'lab' for my PhD. I am going to plant it out with local flora (but will not remove existing fruit trees). It will help me get to know the names, and some of the less obvious plants that might be trying to persist down at the creek.
At the moment Wattle birds are our main indigenous visitors. They love the Silver Princess (WA not local) and often hang upside down as they feed from the blossom.
 Our garden is fairly locked in by cement and buildings apart from the small garden backing onto the the neighbouring cafe. They have a Snow Gum in their courtyard which is getting big, but apart from that it is pretty 'tropical' in flavour. Bouganvillea for example!
 I visited Victorian Indigenous Nurseries Co-operative yesterday in the pouring rain. They grow plants local to the north and east of Melbourne. I bought a few tube stock which we'll plant on Saturday afternoon.

 Pultenaea gunii

(golden pea bush)

This one grows well under trees, wiry shrub about 50cm high. 

Clusters of bright yellow and red flowers September - October.

 

 I think this is: 

Rhodanthe anthemoides

Chamomile Sunray

Perennial herb, papery white daisy flowers with yellow centre. 

Grows well on sheltered escarpments in full sun.

 This one looks a bit like clover: 

Kennedia prostrata

(Running Postman, Scarlet Runner)

Single scarlet peas flowers scattered along stem, April to Dec.

 This is a local geranium. 

Often there is a local species  of many of our 'western' or 'european' garden plants.

Geranium Species 1

Pascoe Vale 10/6

(Large Flowered Crane's-Bill)

  Clematis microphylla

(small leaved Clematis)

The tag says it has creamy star-shaped flowers, July-Nov and that indigenous people cooked and kneaded the tap root to make dough. 

We see this plant along the creek climbing trees, their seeds are fluffy, pale yellow clouds.

 Brachycome Multifida

(Cut-Leaf Daisy)

Evergreen small soft shrub with fine leaves and mauve or lilac daisy flowers.

 This is the biggest plant I bought, and it is prickly too. But I think that is why little birds like it, they feel safe, and they can avoid the prickles.

Grevillea Rosmarinifolia

Somerton Form

(Rosemary Grevillea)

small shrub, pinkish red flowers.

dry soil, full sun, resents poor drainage.

 These lemon beauty heads have lovely flowers, sort of like extruded finger shapes... yellow.

 Eutaxia diffusa

Eutaxia

This shrub likes an open position, which could be interesting in our already cramped garden...

Yellow pea flowers.

And here are some shots of the garden. I really have to get rid of the Ancanthus mollis. It is an interesting plant, often seen decorating the tops of Corinthian columns. I find it quite beautiful, but it is very persistent and will regrow from the tiniest fragment of root. Horrible to say, but I think it will have to be a combination of Round-up and muscle..... Someone has said you have to dig it all up and then SIFT the soil to find all traces of the roots....

 Merri Island Planting and Clean-up

(Near Zoe Circuit, Northcote, Melway 30 C8. Funded by Melbourne Water River Health Incentives Program.)

Ray (secretary of Friends of Merri Creek) told us on the day that Merri Island was the first site the Friends worked on in 1989. The island was constructed (I think for storm water management) and trees were planted. 20 years on the trees are now quite large and established. Staff of the MCMC have been working hard to clear rubbish and weeds such as Wandering Jew.
I'm not sure which 'Wandering Jew' was infesting the island, there are a few plants with this name including Commelina cyanea (also known as Scurvy weed - native to the East Coast of Australia, NSW to QLD). There was also another vine infesting the island growing up into the canopy. MCMC staff cleared these weeds, and laid weed mats and even dug the holes into which we had the glorious task of planting a whole range of grasses, shrubs and small herbs.

 Wattles are blooming in force at the moment. The yellow blossoms creating a sense of air and light all along the creek.

I had never ventured to this side of the creek before, I am always on the western bank where the cycle path lies. Despite the filthy brown water the creek is peaceful along this stretch, and the morning remained sunny for the planting.
There do seem to be more volunteers at plantings which occur closer to the inner city. One woman asked me where I was from, when I answered that I lived in Preston she responded with, 'We are starting to get more people from out there'. She was trying to be welcoming, however her tone may not be as welcoming as she might wish it to be. Class, opportunity and access to education.... these might all be factors that delimit who has or finds the time and inclination to get down to the creek on the weekends.