The forecast was for showers for our wildflower wander along the roads of the Victoria Plains Shire and the Rica Erickson Reserve. As we headed north, blue dampiera appeared along the roadside verge, paddocks of green crops contrasted with the brilliant yellow of the canola with a stunning patchwork effect. The native flora was not to be outshone though as, particularly along several kilometres of roadside verge where the Shire had been persuaded to leave a corridor of natural bush, York gums, wandoo, wattles, the bronze 'poison' bushes, silvery slender tea tree and smoke bush provided contrasting colour. A meander long the verge revealed a colourful understorey including cowslip and white spider orchids. conostylis, sundews and fringed