‘The floor of the sky’ is an Aboriginal description of the carpet formed by a mass of Blue Leschenaultia in bloom.  Isn’t that a great expression?  The floor of the sky.

The intense blue of the flowers is hard to describe or replicate.  This photo conveys the mass and blueness but not quite the intensity of the blue.

The Floor of the Sky

Blue Leschenaultia is natural only in Western Australia and grows well on gravely hillsides – which is why it does well at Balligar!

Contemplating painting it, my thoughts ran similarly to when considering painting Native Wisteria, which I described in my ‘Purple Rain’ post – overwhelming confusion of forms – focus on a part – simplify – suggest the confusion…   I decided to do a similar composition – and a watercolour and ink series was born – ‘Wildflowers at Balligar’.

Blue Leschenaultia at Balligar

Blue Leschenaultia has found its way into bush poetry and I can see it vividly in my mind’s eye when reading or listening to this evocative poem by Keith Lethbridge , ‘The Old Wungundi Hall’. although it only gets a brief mention.  I hope you enjoy the very Australian images Keith evokes.

Hooroo,
🙂
Helen