Flannel & Velvet

I was struck by two things when taking a walk , the first was our small patch of Flannel Flowers Actinotus helianthi that are in full bloom and they never cease to give pleasure through their understated beauty. In the wild they can be found on NSW coastal heath habitat through to the ranges and up into Queensland. At their most prolific following a fire through the heath it is a stunning sight to see whole coastal dunes covered with flannel flowers. They can be quite difficult to grow in the garden as they like good drainage but need cool moist conditions for their roots. The whole plant is covered in a fine dense layer of white hairs that give the flannel appearance.

The second was the vibrant colour and velvet texture of a fungus, growing from a piece of Ironbark.
 I worked out the identification as Pycnoporus coccineus, one of the bracket fungi. It is not that I haven't seen one before, but this specimen was just so brilliant, it deserved a photo.