Montrose Road, Montrose

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Posted 2023-02-02 by Neil Follett ⇒ follow

This one kilometre road runs between Mt. Dandenong Road and Cambridge Road.

It's a well-established area with a footpath on the west side and for most of the east side a narrow gravel path passes through the heavily vegetated verge.

Seemingly common for well-established areas, agapanthus dominates some gardens and vegetated verges.

Roses of many varieties were a feature of many gardens.

A few grevillea shrubs were starting to flower, as was a red flowering gum tree.

Despite the abundance of vegetation, the only two birds seen were a couple of magpies and an Indian myna.

Birdbaths outnumbered the birds seen. One particularly attractive one was host to a little cement doggie, seemingly enjoying the experience. Enjoying a large birdbath were five blue and white fish floating in the fresh water.

A patch of strange-looking stalks with orange and green berries caught my attention in front of a paling fence. My plant identification programme suggested they were the lord and lady version of the arum plant.

Several gardens had displays of red hot pokers, delightfully visible from a distance.

It was a colourful walk, flower-wise. A yellow canna lily, red crepe myrtle, orange crocosmin and an ice plant flower provided some of the colour, as well as a pink bougainvillea, fanflower and some, escaped geraniums.

In one garden an attractive tree fern growing among some agapanthus looked spectacular.

A handmade wheelbarrow posing as a garden bed looked colourful and a four wheel old wagon adorned one front yard.

Perhaps the ultimate garden ornament was an old rusted fire engine, complete with running water.

Near the Cambridge Road end a Melbourne Water Reserve walking track crosses Montrose Road. Next to the track is the Montrose Brickworks Flora Reserve, well worth a diversion.

Only two walkers were encountered, both with dogs, but a couple of cyclists and a post person were also using the road.

Along many parts of the verge and in the Brickworks Reserve were numerous bursa shrubs which are native to eastern and southern Australia. Of similar colour, flower-wise, were several abelia bushes.

Older areas mean fences and there were a variety, picket, wooden and wire.

Fences need gates and several were attractive.

Garden lamps were seen as were a couple of cute girl statuettes.

A five-star nesting box was provided for discerning birds, and a past its used by date windmill looked unloved, but an attractive stained glass window didn't.