Into the Wild
31 October, 2025
Rob and I recently had a little getaway to celebrate a special milestone. Both having a love of nature and the outdoors, our place of choice was Pemberton, a little town, a half hour’s drive from where I grew up. We spent four days hiking amongst the beautiful trees along sections of the Bibbulmun Track, surrounded by wildflowers, wildlife and bird song.
We always have plenty to chat about, but there were sections along the trail where we walked in silence, listening to the sounds all around us, lost in our own thoughts. The birds, hidden amongst the thick undergrowth and tall tree canopies, serenaded us with their different melodies and for awhile, time seemed to stand still.
On one of our hikes we came across a large animal dropping that had us guessing what had crossed the trail path before us. Whilst my mind began racing for a moment at the thought of a feral pig in the area and looked for the nearest suitable tree to scramble up, we later identified it as an emu dropping! 😅
The forest was beautifully adorned with wildflowers endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Pictured above, Oval-leafed Hovea, also known as Tree Hovea or Karri Blue Bush (Hovea elliptica), Coral Vine (Kennedia coccinea) and Water Bush (Bossiaea aquifolium).
On one of our walks we came across a Mama Duck and her babies. She kept a watchful eye on us, whilst proudly guiding her little family through the water plants.
“To walk in Nature is to witness a thousand miracles.”
Whilst visiting Pemby, we called in to see Mum and Dad and came across a long-necked turtle crossing the driveway. He was in such a hurry to continue his journey, I only had time to say a quick hello and take a photo before watching him disappear into the trees. The long-necked turtle also known as snake-necked turtle or oblong turtle is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. They are a key predator in freshwater ecosystems, helping to keep insect and amphibian populations in balance. Their babies can eat up to 70 mosquito larvae in one day.
A Coastal Beauty,
Back home, our garden is in full spring bloom! A favourite perennial flower of mine is Statice (Limonium perezii) also known as Sea Lavender. Grown on the edge of our garden beds, she provides structure in the garden design, food for bees and other beneficial insects, visual beauty, flowers for arrangements and when dried can be used in crafts and potpourri. When left in place, the dry, hollow flower stalks provide habitat for native bees and spiders. This is a very hardy plant being drought and salt tolerant, ideal for coastal gardens.
Green Manure Crops in Pots,
The green manure crops grown in pots in my greenhouse, along with a few sneaky nasturtiums, have now been chop, chopped and dropped, providing a natural source of nitrogen and organic matter to support the life in the soil, who in turn will support the cucumbers and tomatoes that will be planted into these pots for the new season.
Spring Workshops,
Heartfelt thanks to everyone who came along to my Spring workshops. I loved sharing our garden with you all. In my Rethink Your Garden Waste Workshop we started to make a dead hedge (pictured above). Dead or ‘dry’ hedges are a wonderful way to make use of some of your larger garden trimmings. They also help protect the ground from any erosion, capture water, provide habitat for wildlife and create an effective barrier against any backyard animals. You can adapt them to suit the size of your backyard or property and get creative with different designs. If you missed out on this workshop or any of my other workshops including the Gardening with Wildlife Workshop I run with Jo Kennedy from A Single Leaf South West you can complete this online form to join the waitlist. You’ll then be contacted first once any new dates are set.
Sharing with you a little corner of Mum and Dad’s veggie patch.
Til next time, stay curious,
Alisa🌼🍃
References:
Colour Guide to Spring Wildflowers of Western Australia (Part 2 - Perth and the Southwest) by Eddy Wajon
https://backyardbuddies.org.au/backyard-buddies/oblong-turtle/
https://rivers.dwer.wa.gov.au/species/chelodina-oblonga/