28-JUN-2018
Jonquils
We have a few patches of these growing in the rose garden, and one patch has just
started opening up with a few blooms, as seen here... others will follow soon, some
come later and are a different type and colour.
28-JUN-2018
Giant Spear Lily - before it opens
I'm not sure whether ours is a Doryanthes palmeri, or excelsa. Both are giant lilies
but the Palmeri droops with the weight of the blooms when it opens. We have waited 15 years
for ours to flower. I did see these growing alongside the Clarence River along
the north-east coast of N.S.W. many years ago - after we had planted our little seedling,
now ours is a GIANT too, the strappy leaves are 3 metres+ tall, and the stem of this
"flower" is 4 metres or more, hence the difficulty getting a photo to show you.
We're heading up to Cairns in northern Queensland in a couple of weeks time, and
hoping our flower doesn't decide to bloom while we're away! At least I will now
have a record of the fact that it has a flower bud!
PS. Palmeri is named after a Premier of Queensland, not a palm tree.
Background is a lilly pilly tree that young koalas like to sleep in, but not eat.
30-JUN-2018
Farmers' Market
Today we took some old friends down to a Farmers' Market in the Southern Vales
wine growing area of South Australia.. a brisk but sunny day when the sun came
peeping out from behind clouds. We then drove to a winery for delightful light lunch
a very enjoyable way to spend the day - good friends, food & wine.
28-JUN-2018
Safrano
Another photo of Safrano, at this time of the year always in bloom, there is
about 30 or more blooms right now, never spoiled by the winter's weather, rain, heat whatever
Mother Nature likes to throw at us. Alongside Safrano on the gazebo is a climbing
Noisette called Reve d'Dor (Golden Dream) that is also flowering,almost matching the colour of
Safrano, but out of my reach for a photo, that one covers most of the roof and
that's where the flowers are.
28-JUN-2018
Tamora
A very popular David Austin rose that is loved by many. A low growing rather
prickly shrub rose that needs to be on the edge of the rose garden so you
can enjoy the many blooms it produces. This one is flowering in our winter
right now. I took the photo this morning when the temperature was 6 degrees Celsius.
15-JUN-2018
Another Grevillea
This one is called Wimpara Gold and grows in a patch of natives & exotic plants.
The grevilleas are a haven for birds and bees, they flower for most of the year, even in winter.
15-JUN-2018
Winter's Day
A view we see year round - and in winter its always green.
22-JUN-2018
Succulent
I'm not sure which one this is, but possibly belongs to the Crassulaceae family
it came as a cutting from a place we used to frequently stay during a wine and
food festival, held annually during May. Very easy to grow from even a leaf,
I have a handful growing in both pots and in the ground. The plant I got the
leaf from was as tall as I am and possibly as wide as it was tall. The owner
said it had yellow flowers, but as none of mine have ever bloomed I have no
idea - perhaps where we live it is too cold for it to bloom.
22-JUN-2018
Lady Mary Fitzwilliam
This is one of the best known names in the history of the modern rose,
it has become one of the most influential pollen parents of the modern roses,
and can still be found in nursery lists.
An old hybrid tea bred in the UK, 1882
22-JUN-2018
Display of the rose hips
Waiting for me and my pruning tools... a view between the David Austin rose called
Heritage and the popular Bonica who grow in a row of similar pink blooms.
15-JUN-2018
Yellow daisies
Euryops pectinatus - meaning daisy with comb-like leaves - is in full bloom down
in the garden. A very welcome splash of colour in winter!
This one originates from South Africa, which means it will grow like a weed in southern Australia. The
only thing it doesn't like is frost!
15-JUN-2018
Violina
A very tall upright rose that performs well throughout the rose season, though
the blooms will often ball in wet weather. A lovely scent, and an armful of
blooms look wonderful in a vase. Each pruning season I chop it down to my
height, but it insists on reaching for the skies. A leafy shrub - no bare
legs on this rose. Would make an ideal feature rose in a garden. The name
attracted me as our son is an excellent violinist, he played in his first
orchestra aged 7. Unfortunately it is too difficult to bring his fiddle with
him when he comes back to Oz for a family event - we often played together
around the piano.