Waratah wonder

There’s something to wonder about Waratahs. They are really special flowers. To me they signify some special people in my life. I really love their rich red colour, and the strong upright presence of the flower at the end of the stem.

I’m very proud to have a thriving Waratah in my front garden that had very humble beginnings as a tube stock plant over ten years ago.

Memories

My eldest brother Robert passed away from cancer back in 2010. He kept a lovely garden in the Blue Mountains with an array of different seasonal flowers. He tried several times, to grow Waratah‘s in his garden.

In his last year of his life, I visited my brother to help plant a new Waratah. This was after one he planted had died. I felt driven to do this. I wanted the Waratah to survive – just as much as I wanted him to survive his terminal diagnosis. We planted that Waratah in the heat of summer and unfortunately it didn’t survive for long. As Autumn approached my brother became more gravely ill and he passed away in April 2010. 

Meanwhile in my home suburb on Darug Country at the edge of Kuringai Chase National Park the children’s school had a Waratah for the emblem. My neighbour had Waratah‘s flowering annually I knew that this would be a successful plant to try in the garden.

Planting a waratah

I went to the annual council nursery giveaway one year. Somehow amongst the throngs of people on that day, I found myself in front of the last Waratah available. I took it home and planted it in the front garden. I followed the advice from my neighbour to put crushed sandstone in the bottom of the hole.

The Waratah grew and thrived and then about four years later, the first flower emerged. Every Waratah flowering season I am thrilled and excited and fondly remember my brothers love of Waratahs. Every year during the flowering season, I think of my brother and I’m so grateful for such a beautiful flowering plant in the garden. I have even been lucky enough to win first prize and others for in the local flower show for my Waratah flower. Every win being a win for my brothers special flower.

Waratah wonder and joy

I celebrate the Waratah and share some images from my garden. I hope that you also are filled with inspiration from seeing the beauty of the Telopea speciosissima – Waratah flower. There is so much joy from looking closely at this special flower.

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