flowers

Fiery flowers of the silky oak, Grevillea robusta. Silky oaks are older than dinosaurs and literally drip nectar – but watch out for the cyanide. Of all the grevillea, the silky oak is the one that catches my eye. It’s the largest and tallest of the species, reaching up to 30 meters. They’re now blooming along the east coast and in some inland places – like huge orange light bulbs dominating the skyline. Grevilleas literally drip nectar, much to the delight of native birds and bees. Aboriginal people enjoyed the sweet nectar straight from the plant or mixed with water — the original lolly water. But you have to know which species to taste as some, including the silky oak, contain hydrogen cyanide that could make you ill. Like other grevilleas the silky oak also contains tridecyl resorcinol, which causes an allergic reaction leading to contact dermatitis. The chemical is similar to the toxicodendron in poison ivy. Silky oak timber was widely used in colonial times. Then it was marketed as “lacewood”, and that name persists today among some who use it. Source: theconversation.com/silky-oaks-are-older-than-dinosaurs-a...

The I Do! Wedding Stories from Queensland exhibition at the Queensland Museum is featuring never heard before stories from Djunngaal Elders and Yarrabah community members. The exhibition features a mission style basket and commissioned wedding dress designed in partnership with Djunngaal Elders, Gunggandji descendantand Yarrabah artist Simone Arnol and Cape York Peninsula, Umpila, Djabuguy, Yirrganydji man, Bernard Singleton. With strong roots in Yarrabah and over 20 years working in Indigenous law and Native Title, Arnol has been part of the arts and fashion industry for five years. "I use strong connection to family and Country as a foundation to all my works, always keeping it grassroots while respecting the Elders, our keepers of knowledge," Arnol told NIT. She said what started out as an artistic commission of, "a perspective of Indigenous weddings for a traditional wedding ceremony" soon turned into a 12-month long process of storytelling the Yarrabah Elders narrative. "Soon into consultation with the Elders of Yarrabah we found that there was a more important story to be re-told," Arnol said. The story in question would instead shed light into the dark history of prior policies of forced protection and assimilation and how this affected cultural traditions and lore. "The girls and boys when they fell in loveâ€"they couldn't come out of the dorm in the yard to be with their boyfriend or husband ... they had to stay behind the fence," Granny Hope said. "The girls were inside the fence, [while] the boys were outside the fence." In many cases mob weren't afforded the privilege of marrying someone they loved, however this wasn't the only restriction they faced. "This impacted harshly on them as it included separate education for Aboriginal children, town curfews, alcohol bans, no social security, lower wages, State guardianship of all Aboriginal children," Arnol said. "Laws that segregated Indigenous people into separate living areas, mainly on missions, special reserves outside towns or in remote areas." That's why when first asked to do the commission, Arnol was quick to establish the true purpose. "Everything we do is a voice for our Elders ... It is not going to be a pretty dress." Source: nit.com.au/09-11-2020/1512/aboriginal-designed-wedding-dr...

Cinerarias are beautiful flowering plants with tight clusters of daisy-like flowers surrounded by large green leaves. There are many beautiful varieties to choose from including: Florist’s cineraria – colorful flower clusters including dark pink, purple and blue Starships – a popular variety that grows 12 inches (30 cm) tall, with large colorful flower heads Dwarf cineraria – grows 7 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) tall, with single daisy-like flowers. Source: www.urbangardengal.com/grow-cineraria-plants/ Cinerarias are also a great artistic inspiration.