Thursday, September 16, 2010

Flower Flaunt on Friday - early Spring in north-east Oz - and Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Finally, I'm able to spend some time back in the blogging world.  After my computer crashed, with all the inconvenience that entails, I found that I really missed popping in to visit gardens all over the world and having a natter with gardeners near and far.  I'm quite happy to be able to sit down today and write a post once more.  Not only that, but it's the end-of-term for me and time for a bit of a holiday!
I'm joining in with both Tootsie's meme Flaunt Your Flowers / Fertiliser Friday and Carol's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day meme today.  Make sure you visit both blogs.

So ... here's a few things that are blooming right now in my garden ... mid-way through our first month of Spring.



My two Cadaghi Gums - Corymbia torelliana - are beginning to bloom.  The masses of cream scented balls on this tree attracts lots of Rainbow Lorikeets and Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos which can be very noisy first thing in the morning!
 The first blooms on my white Oriental Lilium are showing themselves ...
... and I just adore the white Snapdragons.
Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' greets me with a profusion of purple every afternoon as I come home from work.
The Calibrachoas are simply marvellous this year ... I had some trouble with them last year!  They really struggled to put on a show at all ... so I'm glad I tried them again.
The Zonal Pelargoniums are just brilliant ...
... especially this beautiful Rosebud variety.

The Bougainvillea is flowering once again ...
... and so is the Barleria.
The Tabebuia heterophylla is showing another flush of blooms after its' Autumn-Winter break ....

... as is the fabulous Tabernaemontana corymbosa 'Sweet Love' with it pinwheel flowers ...
... and the Wrightia antidysenterica 'Arctic Snow'.
My little white Salvia has only just shown its' first bloom for Spring ...
 ... and the Nasturtiums are blooming.

It's great to see the Caladiums pushing up out of their underground slumber ... and this one is a favourite of mine.  When it first opens, it's white and pale green with little red splotches ... and it slowly turns a darker green as it matures.  Right now though, it's just beginning to unfurl its' first striking leaves.


21 comments:

  1. Beautiful garden!!! Exquisite color!!! Wonderful! good to visit here again. Though it was yesterday I have linked you to Adventure Tour Express...My best! Cathy

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  2. Bernie, your whites are beautiful, especially that wonderful plant in the first photo. i have never seen anything like this with the berries. I do love Caladeums but for me their time is just about over.

    Eileen

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  3. Glad to have you back! We get to see the all lovely things going on in your garden...including those marsupials. I love that caladium!!! I've never seen that one before! Do you know its cultivar name?

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  4. I loved the walk through your garden with the fab flowers. My favourite is the white salvia, but I like all the rest of them too. Have a good weekend!

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  5. That's so neat! I've never even seen a kangaroo and you have them walking around your back yard! I really like your Zonal Pelargoniums. They're the perfect color. No wonder I'm following you!

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  6. Bernie, How beautiful! Do the guys in the first photo always join you in the gardens? LOL... great to see your world again. ;>)

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  7. I'd love to plant a few wallabies(?) in my garden! Your post has me excited for spring again, your flowers are gorgeous. I love the masses of flowers on the Plectranthus, just beautiful!

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  8. Hi Bernie. I bet the birds go crazy over that gum. Can't wait to see it in full bloom. Enjoy your holidays and the grandkids visit.

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  9. Hi Bernie, Welcome back! I cant grow pelargoniums - you must be a little drier and cooler than me :) I didnt know salvia came in white - they are beautiful!

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  10. Grandmak ... thanks for the visit and for the link. So glad you enjoyed these early spring blooms.

    Eileen ... I do so love Caladiums. I've lost a few over the years after a couple of 'wet' season, so I think it's time to get a few more.

    Floridagirl ... sorry I don't know the name of the Caladium cultivar. It's been in my garden for so many years now ... and over here the Caladiums are rarely sold with their cultivar names on the labels ... they're usually just labelled 'Caladium'!

    Lotusleaf ... glad to hear from you. I also just love the little white Salvia ... it's an old favourite.

    Missy ... we are not lucky enough to have kangaroos around here either. The creatures in the photo are Agile wallabies ... very common around here and so much smaller than kangaroos. They're so lovely and we enjoy their company. Yes, you're right ... my grandchildren will be here soon. I'm so looking forward to having them stay for a little while ... I will enjoy showing them all the birds and wallabies here.

    Carol ... yes the Agile wallabies are a common everyday sight here. There's usually at least one or two in the yard in the mornings and evenings ... sometimes a whole lot more!

    Curbstone ... Spring here is not always greeted with a lot of enthusiasm! It means Summer is near and the weather feels like Summer! My Plectranthus has been brilliant this year ... so many great blooms twice already!

    Africanaussie ... I've tried growing Pellies in the ground but they never survive the 'wet' season, so now I only grow them in pots. They do very well potted up and I move them under cover during the bad part of the 'wet' season, so they keep on keeping on.

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  11. G’Day Bernie,
    Wonderful to see your garden blossoming again. All the flowers make me smile.
    We are just at the end of summer here and are forecast the firs ground frost tonight. I’m not looking forward to that!

    Just over a week to the wedding now everything is set ready my outfit is complete and I just pray for a warm day!!
    Enjoy you spring break and have a great time with your precious ones.

    Sue

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  12. I love it!!! I love the roos in the photos at the beginning!!! your flowers are beautiful...and that peralgonium looks very similar to one of my photos too! thanks for linking in today!!!

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  13. Such a beautiful collection of blooms, Bernie! It's a little hard to think of you just starting spring now, especially when you have plants in bloom that normally flower here (in Pennsylvania) in mid- to late summer (such as the Oriental lilies). And wow - your plectranthus is breath-taking; I've never seen one bloom like that. Thanks for sharing!

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  14. OMG Your Lily is breathtaking!!! All your flowers are so pretty!
    *hugs*deb

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  15. Spring looks very colourful in your garden. I have never tried to grow the oriental Lilies. They look pristine. I grow the tall, white Christmas lilies. I grew a tiger lily which was fine for many years but suddenly it disappeared.I have not seen it growing anymore so it must have said goodbye for ever. The Geraniums are at their best now. Beautiful the double one and also the soft salmon with its speckles is very pretty. Enjoy your holidays, just the right time to be busy in the garden. T.

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  16. So lovely and all flowering plants that I am not familiar with! What a joy to real your post for afar. Someday I will try to visit your country to see these plants for myself. Cheers to Spring there, It's finally Fall here.

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  17. You have so many lovely blooms! I think my favorite is the Oriental Lillium - absolutely gorgeous!

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  18. You've got a lot blooming for spring! Gorgeous lily. And I envy your caladiums.

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  19. I was just thinking about you yesterday, Bernie, as I was working in the garden. I wondered too if you had been keeping track of Geoff and Tanya on her blog (http://purplegiraffes.wordpress.com)?

    I love the photos of all your gorgeous flowers - it's strange to see what would be our summer flowers already blooming in your garden.

    I hope you have a very relaxing and enjoyable holidays. Michelle and the grandchildren are coming down from Brisbane for the hols. so we'll be kept busy then.

    Bernie, I wonder if you would mind sending me your email address, please? Thank you so much for the comments on my blog .... I've been pretty slack about blogging lately.

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  20. Bernie...You are definitely a landscape architect in my opinion. I tell you, if I ever win the lottery I am coming to see you and your gorgeous flowers. How you find enough time in the day to do all you do and then take care of the gardens is mind boggling.

    I agree...your little camera has a GREAT macro on it. I have an old Canon SD1000 Digital Elf which I carry in my purse with me, too. It is a great camera...this is my third one. Each time I trip and fall with it ending up with a busted camera, I just go on EBay and get another second hand one. I really love it. There are times I just can’t haul the Rebel.

    Hope is all well with you and the family. I am having a pleasant weekend. Buddy is leading a hike up one of the mountains close by and I am making a little Halloween banner to hang in my room at school.

    Thanks for your visits and sweet comments. Your thoughts about the photography are really appreciated.

    Hugs......Genie

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  21. Hi. I was searching for tabernaemontana corymbosa seeds throught google and found your blog. sorry to bother but do you have any idea where can i find seeds ?

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