Waratahs

The incredibly beautiful waratah is the floral emblem for New South Wales - Queensland's neighbouring state. The NSW border is only an hour's drive from Brisbane and yet, until recently, I hadn't seem bunches of waratah for sale in any of my local florists. Last week, I picked up these beauties at the Farmers' Market in the City.

Telopea speciosissima

But although this variety don't grow locally, just a few blocks away from the markets, in the City Botanic Gardens, the Queensland rainforest native Tree Waratah, Alloxylon flammeum, was ablaze of flowers.