4394. TRAVEL STORIES. A 79-year-old dog walker in Perth in April 2010. KINDLE STORIES

A broad-chest muscled Caucasian passed by. He was a strong-looking tough man in dark sunglasses, walking a medium-sized Boxer-like dog in this beautiful park. I asked him about the plant with cones of yellow, white, pink, brown and black colours, so commonly seen in parks. It appears on the logo of Murdoch University too.

 

 

"Banksia plants are common in Australia," the man said. "You can suck the nectar from the small flowers of this banksia plant."  He asked whether I wanted to do it. "No, thanks," I said. 

He walked dogs every morning and boarded them for people. "Do you charge for your services?" I asked. "No," he said. "Just whisky at the end of the walk."

He was 79 years old, had both eye lens replaced, a not so strong heart. But his mind was very active and alert. Many men in their 60s become senile, but he was so mentally alert and could tell me the species of various birds in the park and the whole history of coin-collecting. 

"How do you safeguard your coins?" I asked. I presume he was living alone. "I don't put all my coins in one place," he said. "Some in the bank, some in a safe." 

STORY CONTINUE AT:

https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2010/04/21-79-year-old-war-veteran-with-agile.html

 

BANKSIA

 Banksia is an Australian genus of shrubs and small trees that occurs on a wide range of soils including those that are so infertile, wet, or dry, that other woody species do not grow.

 Banksias for the Garden

Banksias usually grow best in well drained soils in a sunny position. Most respond to light pruning, and those which form a woody rootstock (lignotuber) can be heavily pruned. Only low phosphorus fertilisers should be used.

Species native to Western Australia are prone to root-rot fungus and generally do not grow well in parts of Australia which experience high humidity and rainfall in the summer.
Banksias range from low-growing shrubs to trees up to 25 m tall. Some species, for example Banksia ericifolia and Banksia menziesii, are known for their spectacular flower heads. The flower heads produce large volumes of nectar and attract many birds and small mammals to feed on them. Banksias are excellent plants to encourage native animals to the garden.