Friday, November 30, 2012

Flower Flaunt Friday ... On This Last Day Of Spring.

Today is officially the last day of our Spring, but with daytime temps. up around 32 deg C (90 F) every day, and humidity levels around 70% for most of the day, the conditions here are most definitely summery already.


We're still seeing lots of dark, threatening clouds in the sky, but the promise they hold doesn't amount to much.  Occasionally patches of scattered rain are recorded over the city, but here in the foothills we seem to have missed them so far.

Out in the garden the Daylily parade continues.


Hemerocallis 'Maleny Tiger'


Hemerocallis 'Jamaican Me Crazy'


The first of my Hemerocallis 'Bela Lugosi' blooms seems to have been nibbled by something.  It must be very tasty.


Hemerocallis 'Sweet Summer Heat'


Hemerocallis 'Wedding Band' has put on a great show this year.


All the Delonix regia trees are covered in their fabulous orangey-red flower sprays.


There are beautiful stark white blooms on my Gardenia augusta.  I love watching the buds open slowly ...


... and a couple of days later the flowers start changing from the brilliant white to a creamy white as they age.


There are still some lovely Petunias on show out in the courtyard,


and the pots of Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' add pretty splashes of purple.


The Rosebud Pelargonium is attracting lots of tiny little nectar-loving insects,



while the Clerodendrum ugandense blooms fill me with joy.  I've been waiting a long time to have one of these fabulous plants and I'm now completely smitten with these beautiful butterfly-like blooms.


The poor Mussaenda philippica 'Bangkok Rose' out in the front garden bed is doing its best to flower, but the long dry season has seen the colourful bracts and tiny flowers remain wrapped up tightly like a closed fist.


I'm joining Tootsie for Fertilizer Friday / Flaunt Your Flowers




41 comments:

  1. OH MY! I love them all!!! the Jamaican me crazy one is my favorite!!! Here you are in the last day of spring...and I am under two feet of snow!...we haven't even started winter here yet! I might just need to move to warmer climates! lol
    I bet you are just shocked to see me commenting today...lol...it has been a long while since I had any time to do what I love most...and that is to browse my favorite gardens all over the world...thanks so much for linking in this week...and for being patient with me when I am absent for so long. I am sharing this post on my tootsie time facebook page for all to see!
    hugs from Alberta Canada!

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    1. It was fabulous to see your comment, Glenda. I know just how busy you've been, so it's lovely to see you dropping by. Two feet of snow is something completely alien to me. I can't imagine how cold it must be. I hope your winter is not too harsh and all those plants tucked up in your greenhouse do well while the snowflakes fall. Thank you so much for sharing my post on your FB page. That's much appreciated.

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  2. A lovely collection, not too different to those around here. The poincianas are looking stunning in the streets here, just as the jacarandas have finished.

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    1. Pieces of Sunshine, Poincianas do very well up here, but unfortunately the Jacarandas don't. We don't get a fabulous display as you do down there. It's a real shame as the Jacaranda in bloom is my favourite tree.

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  3. Stunning Hemerocallis!! It seems some of those may work here by the coast....I have to bring more of them in for diversity. Really love them.

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    1. Thanks LT, I've only been growing Hemerocallis for three years now and I've been amazed at just how well they do here. I only wish I had room to plant more.

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  4. Dear Bernie.
    Here we have minus 4 degrees Celcius, so it´s most wellcome to see and enjoy your photos of all these beautiful flowers in your garden. Can almost smell the Gardenias ;o)
    I would love to own a Clerodendrum ugandense, however, my search for it here, failed.
    What a pity about the Mussaenda, do hope it´ll survive.
    Thanks for brightening my day Bernie. Always enjoyable to visit you, down under ;o)
    Wish you a great weekend. Best regards, Iris.

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    1. Ooo, I read minus 4 degrees and shivered from head to toe, Iris. I just can't imagine temps that low. The Gardenia blooms smell beautiful. After the Lilies have finished filling the courtyard with perfume, the potted Gardenia takes over for a while.

      It took me two years before I found my Clerodendrum. Don't give up, you just never know. The Mussaenda will be fine. It always looks the same when it starts to bloom at this time of year, and it always pulls through. It is one tough plant.

      Glad you enjoyed popping in for a visit once again. Stay warm and cosy now.

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  5. thanx for your wonderful flowers and the sky in the first pic is phantastic! :)

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    1. Thank you Tina for leaving your lovely kind comment.

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  6. Lovely flowers! The gardenia is exquisite and the daylilies are always my favorites. +30C is too much for me. We seldom have temperatures that high here even in summer. On the other hand I don't much fancy the snowstorm we're having right now either.

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    1. Gunilla, +30C is usual here at this time of year, but I never really get used to it. I suppose snowstorms can do as much damage as some of our friendlier cyclones. We each have our own challenging conditions.

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  7. I think I say this every spring when I see your gardenias growing in the garden--Lucky you!! And I'm not a fan of daylilies but you are softening me up with the daylilies in your garden.

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    1. Mary, I'm becoming a big fan of Daylilies. They're just so hardy in my garden here. I wish I had more room to plant more as they provide such terrific spring colour. The Gardenina was a pass-on plant given to me just two years ago, and now I wish had room for more of them as well. I can see a trend here!!!

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  8. I like them all! How much I expect spring...!
    In my country today was the last day of autumn, so..
    Happy weekend, Bernie!

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    1. Anastasis, I hope your coming winter is not too harsh. I'm looking forward to Autumn here as that's the start of the best time out in my garden.

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  9. Hi Bernie....oh the tree with the orange blossoms! Beautiful! I must agree with you about the
    Clerodendrum ugandense. How gorgeous are those blooms and so delicate. It catches my eye because there is blue....and its a bi color. Love it!

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    1. Jean, the Poincianas with their orangey-red flowers are blooming all over the region now. They make a spectacular display which we never ever tire of. The lovely blue colours of the Clerodendrum are just lovely aren't they? That's the reason it was on my wish list for so long.

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  10. spring ...so pretty Bernie....welcome summer!!!

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    1. Sharon, while I don't mind the spring, I never really look forward to the summer here. Autumn, Winter and Spring are the best times in my corner of the world, for both the garden and the gardener. We both suffer through the summer and wish it was over every single year.

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  11. Your spring flowers are beautiful. I added Clerodendrum ugandense this year and love the blooms. Those bright orange tropical blooms are eye-catching too.

    Hemerocallis are the one I can't grow here, I like them but so do the deer!

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    1. Thanks Shirley. What a shame the deer love Hemerocallis too! Thankfully the wallabies don't seem to have developed a taste for them here.

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  12. Your daylilies are beautiful, Bernie. Love that gardenia too. I'll bet it smells fantastic!

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    1. Yes, Beth, the Gardenia has a divine perfume.

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  13. Bernie, your daylilies are beautiful! You are one day from summer and tomorrow winter starts here in London - tonight we have only plus 3 Celsius and expect it to go below minus during the night. In exactly 6 months I hope to have all my daylilies in flower :-) I wish I could grow Gardenias in my garden but they don't like our cold winters. Your garden is stunning as always, hope this will be a good summer for you!

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    1. Helene, it sounds like it's definitely getting chilly over your way. Let's hope you have a mild winter, and we have a calm summer.

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  14. Lindas flores! Aqui estamos a quase um mês do verão, mas o tempo é quente e úmido. Já são 23:53 e ainda está muito calor. Durante o dia, a temperatura é muito alta, em torno de 35°C. Um domingo perfumado para você!

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    1. Miriam, it sounds as if we have similar summers then, although we usually only have a few days up around 35 deg C during the summer months. Usually the mercury stays slightly lower for most of summer.

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  15. I do miss those daylilies and even the great performing petunias. We are going to be unusually warm today 60 degrees F.

    Eileen

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  16. These are gorgeous, and I look forward to next Spring to see the flowers again.

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  17. Ahhh Summer blooms.(Heavy Sigh) LOL! I love the Jamaican Me Crazy lily Bernie. What beautiful markings it has on its petals. Sounds like the heat is on now for you there. Have a lovely weekend.

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  18. You have a wide selection of colours in your daylily beds!! Impossible to choose a favourite! And I have never seen anything like the Clerodendrum ugandense before! It is amazing!!

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  19. Love the Jamaican me crazy, if not for the name alone! The Clerodendrum is quite pretty, as are always, all of your flowers :)

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  20. I have enjoyed your dayilies....mine lasted far longer this past year with our heat....of course the orange flowers on that tree are like nothing I have seen.

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  21. A delightful collection of images Bernie; thanks for sharing the gorgeous blooms from your part of the world. The Gardenia is my favourite.

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  22. Awesome ans so beautiful pics of exotic flowers.. These flowers carry such an amazing charm which refreshes mind.. That is why I always gift flowers online to my dear ones...!!

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  23. I'm so thrill to see your Clerodendrum ugandense blooms. At least you have got your specimen. I'm still waiting for the local nursery to stock it and I do not see it in my neighbourhood or friends planting it.

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  24. thanks for great content about flowers.

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