The following are looking very hopeful - native wisteria, star kunzea, patersonia.

I love my natives in winter !!

Callistemon "Mr Foster" Eremophila nivea, will be flowering very soon (full buds)

(?) = not sure of the name

Cheers,
Frank

Yes, native wisteria is the same as the happy wanderer - I have a purple one which is looking promising - but it is in a semi-shaded position. Others nearby have flowered ... so I have my fingers crossed.

MM, I am happy to hear that your flowering gum is flowering - my euc. ficifolia will hopefully flower in summer - there is lots of new growth so I am very hopeful.

Aren't flowering grevilleas in the middle of winter the most delightful thing?

My Goodenia has not grown very much (starter tube). I am tempted blood and bone it ...

Thanks for sharing all.

The Hakea laurina must be about 4 years old now and its first real flowering was last year. I have plenty of seeds from it but the plant itself has been getting a bit diseased - lower branches dying off, black leaves, so I guess its not really suited to this neck of the woods - a shame because I love the flowers. I'm considering removing it and may replant elsewhere.

H. victoriae on the other hand seems fairly healthy and have just got some seeds from it into tubes - the flowers are not well displayed nor showy but the foliage is terrific.

Cheers,
Frank

Also putting on a show is a small WA pink thing (which neither I, nor the person who sold it to me can identify), a darwinia, some roses, isopogons, correas, a boronia, wattles and a few gum trees. A lone yellow Stylidium graminifolium is flowering in the greenhouse, I suspect it is confused.

I think mine's about four years old and it would have been at least two years old (about 2 m high) before a few of the top-most adult leaves started yellowing with some orange colour near the stems (no red then or now). Growth seems to have slowed down now. It was a spindly plant the first couple of years and looked quite ugly, but then became quite well-shaped as lateral branches grew without any interference on my part. I still don't have that many adult leaves on it, so am anticipating a better show in years to come.

Cheers,
Frank

About to produce:
Acacia longifolia
Telopea speciosissima
Melaleuca fulgens

It has 5 petals, the flower is about 1cm across. It probably comes from albany. It is very slow growing (this is a 3 year old cutting). I'm growing it on a capillary mat in 20% clay, 30% potting mix, 50% coarse sand.

I have high expectations for my flowering gums. I hope that they give me beautiful sprays this summer.

My native wisteria is looking promising, still. But the flower buds are certainly there, they just haven't opened yet !!

Nathan - are your boronias confused also? ;) My boronias won't flower until spring time (I think). Also, lucky you to still be getty roses.

I can't wait till my stone fruit trees blossom - the almonds next door have already gone off. But we have a nectarine, apricot, and 2 peaches who are in lovely budswell at the moment. The roses are starting to leaf up.

We blood and boned a few things on the weekend. Hopefully the lilly pillies will start bushing up this spring.

My banksia repens has not flowered yet - 2 years. Some nice new growth (fairly scant, less than 10 new leaves) - but no flowers. Does anyone have one that has flowered? The same with my banksia littoralis. Very tempting new growth, but not a flowerbud in sight.

But the kennedia running postman has been in non stop flowering mode now for at least 4 weeks.

Callistemon "Mr Foster" has started flowering. Hakea cineria has one flower just starting to open. A couple of Isopogons are in bud. Quite a number of Grevilleas of different species and varieties are in flower.

Your Callistemon tinaroo is also beautiful. What gorgeous colours. I only have call. perth pink, kings park special and endeavour. But I would love to lay my hands on salignus.

Frank, I have a hakea cineria. How old was yours before it flowered? My isopogon is growing long ways (instead of upright, same with callytrix) so I am not sure if I will get any blooms.

My wedding bush (which you kindly pointed out is not a WA native) is gearing up with some little buds or new growth - can't quite tell, but I think it is still quite a way from flowering.

I think its common name is Willow Bottle Brush but it may come in other colours too, I dont think you will have any problems buying it in your area especially from a Native Nursery. Cheers...MM

My Hakea cineria is 4 or 5 years old and didn't flower at all last year. The previous year it had at most a half-dozen flowers, its first flowering.

My Isopogon formosus is also growing sideways , but newer branches are resting over older ones, so I suppose it will get higher eventually. I'm really surprised it is still alive in clayey soil in my area of SE Qld. It flowered last year for the first time, and appears healthy.

I also have a Calytrix (tetragona?) that is about the same age as the Isopogon, if not older, that has not flowered yet. Has yours?

My calytrix are only starter tubes and have not yet flowered. One (which is growing very very sideways) has been in though for over a season.

My hakea laurina has been in the ground for about 4 or 5 yrs now and I have seen not a bud in sight. I am desperate for it to flower.

Mistymorn - thanks - I will definately keep an eye out for your bottlebrushes - they are just gorgeous.

Mydarwinia citridora is probably one of the most disappointing plants I have popped in - the leaves have gone yellow and it has not flowered. I don't know what to do with it. Has anyone got any suggestions?

How's progress in your garden?

Cheers,
Frank

My westringia are flowering, as are my grevilleas. My hardenbergia is finishing up, but the wedding bushes are springing into it.

I love spring.

I think I've mentioned it several times - moved into my new home in mid-June, and I've been planting solidly since (!). My biggest mistake was to place too much faith in the huge Poincianas at the back of the block - the angle of the Winter/Spring sun and the semi-deciduous nature of Delonix has left me with some pretty sorry tree ferns, and my mature palms (2m plus) have all suffered with wind and sun damage, but they seem to be coping.

Its not all natives - I've been seduced by a lot of exotic tropical plants - but I've tried to plant natives where possible. Carpenteria, Macarthur, Solitaire and Bangalow palms over an understorey of lillipillies, cordylines, ferns and a mishmash of Austromyrtus, Backhousia, Nandina and other species, with Lomandra, Emu Bush and Liriope at the bottom. Give it another year or three :)

Cheers,

Artie