Friday, September 3, 2010

Flower Flaunt on Friday - early Spring in north-east Oz.

Spring has arrived ... very soon the temperatures will be soaring and the humidity levels will be rising.  Springtime here is really just another word for early Summer!  While that is not an exciting prospect to a dry tropics gardener, I know that my erstwhile Autumn-Winter flowering plants will continue blooming for a little while longer.

The fabulous Snapdragons keep on keeping on.
I've already trimmed the Petunias right back ... and they're breaking into bloom once more.



The Calibrachoas were also trimmed right back ... and are flowering again.

My gorgeous Cineraria are just coming to the end of their show.
I just love the different shades and hues as the flowers age and the colours fade.


My dwarf Azalea is still full of blooms ... and seems to be enjoying the freedom and space after I severely trimmed back the surrounding Hibisucus shrubs that were crowding out this lovely little thing.
Out in the driveway garden bed, I can still spot some flowers on one of my favourite Winter bloomers.  My Bauhinia variegate 'Alba' just doesn't seem to want to drop all it's flowers just yet ... and even though they're not at their best, I still find beauty in these dying blooms.
Further along in this driveway garden bed there's a Gerbera that I would call THE hardiest I've ever seen.  It survives on rock ... there's just no soil on this barren part of the garden!   It's located in one of the driest places on the property and he poor thing is just screaming out for a decent drink ... I really don't know how it keeps on growing.
I have a few Spathiphyllums or Peace Lilies growing in various places around my garden ... and the first bloom has appeared.  These will now begin to show more and more flowers as we get further into Spring.
I'm also seeing more and more of the little native Violet appearing in various spots around the garden.  Viola Hederacae has a tiny little flower and sometimes goes unnoticed.

Another beautiful little flower that often goes unnoticed is the bloom of the Moses-in-a-Basket plant or the Boat Lily - Tradescantia spathacea.  I've got lots of Tradescantia growing in my Shadehouse/Greenhouse Garden.  It's often dismissed as a rather common, unattractive and boring plant.
But, if you look closely at the right time of year, you'll see these wonderful boat-shaped outer casings burst open to reveal a lovely little flower.
Elsewhere in my garden, there are more tiny, tiny little flowers appearing ... such as the flowers on the Triangular Palm - Dypsis decaryi.  Another example of beauty found in the most unexpected places.

Now make sure you pop over to visit Tootise's meme where you will find lots more great blog posts for this Flower Flaunt Friday.  Just click on the link below:

18 comments:

  1. Bernie... have just got to ask...what camera and lens are you using for all of this magnificent photographs. I have a Canon SLR XSI with 3 lens, but I am not getting anywhere the shots you are producing. They are beautiful. Are you using automatic settings or manual. I would love to improve my pictures, because yours are to die for. I really like the one of your snapdragons though they look entirely different from the ones I used to have in my flower shop years ago. The cineraria ooh to me to be a part of the daisy family. They are so pretty. Your flowers continue to amaze me.

    Hugs,
    Genie

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  2. These are the most gorgeous blooms!!! Thank you for sharing them...

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  3. Your garden looks fab! Mine is drying up in with the horrid heat wave we've been having.
    Your flowers are so pretty!
    *hugs*deb

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  4. What an adorable little viola! So much prettier than the simple violet ones that tend to invade the entire garden here in the U.S. as soon as you plant one!

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  5. I especially like the triangle palm flowers! Palm's flowers often get ignored unfortunately, but they're pretty fascinating in their own right!

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  6. Beautiful showing today. Love the blue flowers.

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  7. Bernie, your flowers look beautiful. I just put in some violas yesterday as they will hold up to the cooler weather to come. I hope you have a little more time with all of your lovlies.

    Eileen

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  8. What lovely flowers in your landscaping designs. Very beautiful. I especially loved the Petunias. I've never seen the one frillier ones before. They were especially lovely. :)

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  9. How wonderful it is to see spring starting in your garden as fall is ending our season here in Wisconsin. When I need flowers for the winter, I'll just pop over to your blog and be content!

    Glorious photos, thank you so much.

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  10. Hi Bernie,

    Some lovely blooms in your garden. I love the boat lily it’s gorgeous, It may be a common plant but I love it!! I have just lost several large shrubs and had to have a major pruning session in the garden due to phytophera we have lost half the front hedge and one of my weidgela and my philadelphus my poor garden is looking very very sad.

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  11. Beautiful blooms for todays post. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  12. Bernie,

    I found your blog via the comment you left on Helen Yemm's blog. Your photography is simply stunning. The raindrops you've captured on the Viola are incredible.

    Amalee

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  13. Beautiful, strong colours of snapdragons and the ever so popular Petunias. I have never tried the Calibrachoas, they look similar to the Petunias, are they sort of a relative? I am attracted to the colours pink with white edgings. The Cinerarias are gorgeous; do you grow them from seed? I love the softly faded hues too! Everything about the Bauhinias is beautiful, the tree itself, the butterfly leaves and the wonderful orchid like flowers. The white one is one of my faves. I think Gerberas are native flowers of South Africa and can stand quite some dryness. The native violets are very pretty.
    Love the tradescantias, great plants for the tropics. The twin flowers are delightful how they peep out from their little cradle.

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  14. G'day Bernie, You take wonderful photos. I couldn't take pics of such tiny things as the native violet or palm flowers with my camera.The frost would kill off all of those plants here down south. It is gray and dreary here this weekend but I am getting a few booms, namely the camellias and narcissus. Lovely music by the way.

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  15. Thanks for stopping by my blog! Your flowers are beautiful!

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  16. Peace lilies make the perfect houseplants. Peace lily or Spathiphuyllum can survive low light and does not take require much care.

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