BUSH NOTES

Michael Reid Southern Highlands

JULY 2023

Native plants are a constant source of fascination and I’m lucky to be surrounded by a rich backdrop of bushland, living and working on the edge of Ku Ring Gai National Park. I have encountered all of the flora in this collection in my day to day life. From pathways to car parks to deep explorations into the forest, the wilderness always feels close.

Flannel flowers are spotted on the side of busy roads, defiantly growing there despite the development and traffic pollution. Secret groves of Waratahs are discovered in the national park where their stems have to be painted by rangers so they can’t be taken and sold. Huge Banksia flowers grab my attention, glowing orange and yellow like candles as do carpets of tiny Boronia and Wattle sprinkled like confetti on the forest floor.