A beautiful, shimmering beetle hovered to the ground near the back door today – it’s a golden stag beetle, scientific name Lamprima aurata. They are found in Victoria, S.A., and N.S.W. Golden Stags live in dry sclerophyll vegetation, with the larvae feeding on decomposing soft wood. This little critter was on a mission and wasn’t going to hang around to pose for a photo.
A recent Sunday (not the one spent chain-sawing) strolling around two amazing gardens: ‘Wigandia’, the drought-tolerant, abstract-styled garden of William Martin, and ‘Dalvui’, the historic, grand, Guilfoyle masterpiece, both at Noorat in the Western District. Inspiring! I am becoming more and more absorbed by garden design, plant structure and form – witness the sagging bookshelves in the horticulture section of our library!
