When We Were Kids...

We grew up in England, in house that had big rooms in the cellar, and in the biggest room, our Dad had pasted on the wall a map of a country called Australia. We would also get Christmas presents from this place every year. One year we got a story book about wierd-looking men that were called Banksia Men. We went to this place, Australia, as kids, on passenger liners which were great fun. Apparently this place was where our parents came from. On this first trip, we got to see a banksia tree.

These old banksias are more like the scarey banksia men in May Gibb's book.

In the past few years, with the drought being a major worry, even in the city, these wierd Australian plants became beautiful, and also we were encouraged to grow them to attract native birds into our gardens. (This beautiful 'specimen' is just to the side of 'Bellevue' in our park that overlooks the bay with all its yachts - and birds - etc.)

Instead of pulling such out, or treating them as weeds, these tall stately grasses are becoming statements in their own right, especially in the drought.