AROUND DENMARK

Since last week's posting we have continued to explore the countryside around Denmark, Western Australia and enjoyed the beauty of this rather green patch of the south west of the continent. The soft powdery sand of the beaches is a bright white; I think because it comes from the limestone of which there is such a lot in this region. Hence this is also a well known wine grape growing region. There are also a lot of granite outcrops. The photo below is of me in Elephant Cove, William Bay National Park.

I have no idea what this plant is in the picture below. However, I couldn't resist photographing it because it was growing in pure sand on the beach.

Here is a close up of its' flower.

This banksia was growing in the heath above the beach. As this flower has finished, it obviously must flower in Spring. The leaves have a beautiful sculptural quality.

In the forest on our way further west to Margaret River I photographed this Bullanok (Kinga Australis). It looks very like the Grass Trees of the eastern states (Xanthorrhoeas) but is apparently a different genus.

The difference between these plants and Xanthorrhoeas is very apparent in their rather strange flowers, see the close up below.

While in Denmark we were delighted to catch up with Karin, a Sogetsu teacher, and her husband Bernd, whom I had met in Berlin in January 2013. We enjoyed a walk along an old railway line where we could admire the local flora.

Here is a photo of the lighthouse at Cape Leeuwin, the southwestern tip of Australia,

where the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean meet. A very blustery bit of coastline indeed.

This week's ikebana is a re-working of the theme of straight lines and a mass using belladonna lilies in another bamboo vase that I made from the bamboo of our friends' garden.

If you click on the blue highlighted text you may see more photos of our travels: From Denmark to Perth.

I am also delighted to provide a link to the new blog of the latest recipient of the Norman and Mary Sparnon Endowment Scholarship. This is my friend and colleague Emily Karanikolopoulos.

Greetings from Christopher