The Plant Outside My Window

I was happy to be back in my Sydney bedroom after a long, uneventful flight from the US. 

I make the trip every year and always look forward to spending time with my family down-under. I also look forward to one of my favorite views: the back garden through the large picture window in the bedroom.

But when I stood in front of that window this time, I was startled to see a creepy-looking plant seemingly watching me through the glass. 

A botanical Peeping Tom!

A Peeping Tom, of course, is someone who watches others without their consent.

With careful aim, I could maneuver my camera to see other sections of the garden—like the water dragon basking alongside the frog pond.

My daughter created the pond to attract frogs.

She ONLY gets water dragons!

Stumpy is a regular.

Not much had changed in the garden since I had been away—except for that awful plant staring straight at me and working my last nerve!

Enough to give me the heebie-jeebies.

Really!

I considered simply pulling down the shade and forgetting about it, but I was too intrigued. Instead, I started photographing its growth.

My imagination ran wild, and I explored some possibilities.

Could it become a real-life Jack and the Beanstalk? I pray not.

Perhaps it could be an alien plant from another galaxy, like Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors.  Sure looks like it!

"Feed me!"

I finally sat my daughter down and enthusiastically explained my concerns about the plant. Then I showed her my sequence of photographs.

She took one look at me, my pictures, and the window and said, “Mom, that’s just a fern.” 

Silence!

A few days later, the mysterious coils began to unfurl.  Sure enough, it was a fern. 

My daughter was right!

I did a bit of research and learned that the spiral coils on a new fern leaf are called fiddleheads, which unfurl into fronds. 

 Fiddleheads' curled tips resemble fiddles. Well, duh! 

When it comes to bringing beauty out of things that at first appear ugly, nature has a way!

Sydney is home to an incredible assortment of native ferns that grow in soil, on rock surfaces, and, in some cases, literally out of the walls.

Ferns grow on walls by collecting wind-blown spores in damp mortar cracks, stone crevices, and decaying organic debris.

Rock Fern, Hare’s-foot Fern, and Necklace Fern are just a few of the common ferns that grow wild.

I photographed this fern popping out of a retaining wall!
This sort of thing is very common around Sydney!

And then there was the way the plant outside my window had attached itself to the house. Pretty amazing—but awfully ugly!

See how the soft, green, lacy fronds of ferns add depth and elegance to the untamed bushland, creating a landscape of tranquility and peace.  

That's what I'm talking about!

Echo Point Park, Roseville Chase.

The Australian tree tern has a flair for the dramatic!

Tree ferns in my daughter's back garden.

I really had a great time shooting ferns from various angles!

The large, feathery leaves of ferns scattered throughout Echo Point Park's bush landscape.
Charming! 

The more I learned, the more fascinated I became by Australia’s ancient botanical history and its connection to the supercontinent Gondwana, which began breaking apart during the Jurassic period about 180 million years ago. 

Over millions of years, Australia developed its own unique flora and fauna.

Ferns, in particular, are among the oldest groups of plants on Earth, with ancient relatives flourishing long before humans ever appeared. 

Beautiful!

With my daughter still standing there, amused by my bewilderment over the plant outside my window, I asked her, “Didn’t you see Jurassic Park? Some dinosaurs became ill after eating fictional prehistoric ferns.”

Having her attention, I continued.  “The one in my window could be just as poisonous.” 

She raised one eyebrow. 

I asked if I should be worried that this Jurassic plant might be after me.

In playful relief, she laughed and said, 

"You? Don't worry, it's not coming for you—

It's coming for your view!"

Whoola!

"You can't block the growth of a wild tree fern."

While I didn’t want to lose my awesome window view, I must admit I do love the wild ferns growing all over Sydney.

That is . . .

all but the one outside my window.

The plant outside my window turned out to be a beautiful Australian tree fern!

Peeping Plants . . .

Prehistoric Ferns . .

One very persistent Australian tree fern determined to steal my view . . .

Sydney is definitely NOT in Kansas!