KathyW's Web Space

Lime Swallowtail

This Lime or Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus subsp. sthenelus) sighting was the first specimen we'd seen in this area. A very active butterfly it was loath to sit still long, and usually kept it's top wings fluttering ready for a quick escape. It has a very distinctively marked body, continuing the black wing stripes down the thorax and abdomen. The inside of the wings displays a dense chequered pattern across the shoulders, and two distinctive spots on the outer margin of each hind … [Read More...]

Fiddler Beetle

The striking Fiddler Beetle has been a regular visitor over the past few years, ever since our flowers started blooming in our slowly establishing "garden". Actually, it's more of a half-garden half-weedbed, but when you refuse to use herbicides and are in the middle of a drought with water restrictions it's hard to get competition for the weeds going. This year however must be the Year of the Fiddler Beetle - they are here en-mass gorging themselves on the figs (click on any photo … [Read More...]

Sarracenia leucophylla

Sarracenias, otherwise commonly known as Pitcher Plants, are spectacular in flower. Many people are aware of their elegant and frequently strikingly patterned pitchers, perhaps not as many are aware that in spring they can produce large, brightly coloured flowers in various shades from white, through yellow to red and deep burgundy depending on the species. This year, my Sarracenia leucophylla hybrid produced this beautiful flower. Hopefully when it's new little Conservatory is built … [Read More...]

Utricularia

Utricularia, commonly known as "bladderworts", are a fascinating family of carnivorous plants. They are frequently so tiny and insignificant that they go virtually unnoticed until they flower. Utricularia supplement their nutrient uptake by catching microscopic animals in tiny bladder-like traps attached to their roots. Utricularia subulata This little gem went completely unnoticed until the first golder flower appeared on a fine stem high above the moss covered pot. The pot belonged to … [Read More...]

An Unusual Beauty – dracaena surculosa punctulata

Dracaena surculosa punctulata "Sierra Leone" is known in Malaysia as "Japanese Bamboo". It does bear a superficial resemblance to a thin ornamental bamboo and for decades I believed it to be one. Researching the flower recently I discovered it is not a bamboo at all, but a member of the Dracaena family, and possibly quite rare. The plant was given to me in the late 1980's, and for decades it simply sat on my kitchen bench doing little more than surviving. Then when we built our "grand … [Read More...]

Dyeing with Eucalyptus goniocalyx

Identification | Extracting Dye | Mordanting | Dyeing Wool, Silk and Cotton | Fresh vs Dry Leaves | Preparing Cotton Eucalyptus goniocalyx - Long-leaf Box Eucalyptus goniocalyx or Long-leaf Box is a locally occurring eucalyptus species. It has at least one close relative in E. nortonii - Mealy Bundy. Intermediates between the two species are very common. We have one very large Long-leaf Box tree on our property, surrounded by juvenile trees. The young trees appear to radiate out … [Read More...]

Molten Bronze Pour

On the first weekend in August 2011, Monash University along with a number of other Victorian Universities held an Open Day, where visitors were encouraged to tour the facilities and learn about the courses offered there. We were visiting the Caufield Campus of Monash University where we were privileged to observe a molten bronze pour in the Sculpture Department of the Visual Arts buildings. Our guide through the process, Alex, was one of the technical staff actually involved the … [Read More...]