Thursday, October 17, 2013

X is for?? Finally, I have been defeated!!!

There is a mine in Western Australia called the Xantippe mine but there is no story to be told about it except where it is on the map.  I have therefore chosen to use my 'X' to talk about Xanthorrhoea which is a genus of flowering plant native to Australia and a member of family Xanthorrhoeaceae (I've tried to pronounce that one but have given up).  It is the only member of the subfamily Xanthorrhoeoideae.

Actually I'm joking.  I know I've 'talked' about our grass trees (previously known as blackboys which is now felt to be politically incorrect) before so you of course know what they are.  You do, don't you? It's OK, I'm not going to be asking questions to see if you remembered!!  The bushes are quite impressive and I've also shown a close up picture of the flower spike:





While I'm here I'd like to talk about a wonderful nursery up in our hills called the Zanthorrea Nursery. A cute name for a place that sells nearly all native plants don't you think?  We've been there a couple of times over the years and always enjoyed the experience.  I'm hoping to find our way back there again before too long to buy a few new plants to cheer up our back garden.  You could spend a whole day there just looking around.  I'd have to take my walker though or I'd never get around all there is to see there.

Why have I used this Z in my X post.....here's why.  This is a quote from their website regarding their name:  "The original nursery in Gooseberry Hill had spectacular grass trees (Xanthorrhoea presissii) growing in the front garden.  To make the name easy to spell, just as people hear it, we changed it to Zanthorrea.  The botanists don't like the spelling but it does make us easier to find in the phone book!"

These are a few of their marvellous display gardens giving visitors an idea of what can be done with native plants:
 
and a section of their gift shop:


Yes, one day soon, we must make our way back to this nursery.

10 comments:

  1. Oh yes make your way back to the Zanthorrea nursery it looks like it would be fun, your nursery's are so much different than ours your plants so much different than ours. Oh yes I love the internet to see the beauty of other places is incredible.. Hug B

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    1. I think we will make the effort before out hot summer begins. There is certainly a diversity of plants here in Western Australia and, of course, so different to those you have in the northern hemisphere. The internet is the place to learn so well of other places in the world. xx

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  2. Creative us of your X posting (loved the label as well).

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    1. Well, had to do something so I did. Worked out well I thought.

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  3. I do love nurseries and that one looks like an absolute stunner. Thank you. And yes, it also looks like a place I would be unable to resist buying up big. Smell of burning plastic as card gets a work out...

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    1. I love our native plants and we need to do something 'out the back' so I am sure this is the way to go. Maybe 'out the front' too and fill up some spaces. Plastic is good but always remember to pay off in full at month's end and then the burning smell won't linger. lol

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  4. If they could turn Mao Tse Tung into Mao Zedong out of political correctness, certainly changing Xanthorrhoea to Zanthorrea is no violation of it. Great post, and informative!

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    1. Thanks Geo. I knew I was right in posting about the nursery and its name and you've proved it to me. I do try and tell what it's like where we are and hope others enjoy finding out about it as I do about where they live.

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  5. I like seeing the grass trees out in the bush, when there are a lot of them together they are quite an impressive sight. Hope you get back to that nursery soon.

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    1. There is a very, very wide medium strip down Stock Road (just near us) and there are loads of blackboys there and they look so impressive when they are flowering. There's also Christmas trees (Nuytsia floribunda) that are a glorious sight when in full flower. They should be coming into bud fairly soon now. I am using visualisation to get me back to that nursery and hope that works. lol

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