Friday, March 21, 2014

Flower Flaunt on a Drizzly, beginning-of-Autumn Friday.


We're almost at the end of our first Autumn month and we're getting a few squally patches of rain coming over the hills today.  In between these occasional patches, there's been a very light drizzle since very early this morning.  It's still wet season here, but this is the first bit of rain we've had since about mid-February.  It's not heavy enough to soak very far into the ground here, but it's refreshing.  All in all, the 2013-2014 wet season has been a bit of a disappointment.  There are predictions for more rain over this coming weekend, so we'll wait and see what eventuates.

March is the first month of Autumn here, but you will not see leaves changing colour on loads of leaves falling off the tree.  Most of the trees around here are evergreen, or semi-deciduous, but those that do drop leaves will do it primarily during our dry season.

One tree that does show some change of colour at this time of the year though, is my Koelreuteria or Chinese Rain Tree.


The Koelreuteria formosana has been blooming for a couple of weeks now.  Clusters of small yellow flowers grow from the ends of the branches first,


and these form a 3-sided papery seed pod which starts out a pretty creamy-pink colour



which then turns to rose-pink, and gradually to brown as it dies off.


This tree is on the environmental weeds alerts list, but my neighbours and I have been keeping a look out for any little seedlings popping up ever since my tree started blooming just three years ago.  This poor specimen is planted in a spot with the poorest soil and in one of the driest spots on the property.  It's grown around about 3 metres since we moved in here, 13 years ago, which I think must be a record for the slowest growth ever for this particular tree. 

One tree that is usually covered in blooms by this time of the year is the Lagerstroemia speciosa, or Queen's Myrtle.  I have three growing on the property but they're all a little behind the blooming schedule this year.  Two of them have a couple of blooms appearing, but that's it so far.



As I wander around my place there are a few flowers to be seen.


Hymenocallis


Water Lily


Clerodendrum ugandense


Adenium obesum


our native Cordyline cannifolia or Palm Lily


Plumeria pudica


Crossandra infundibuliformis


Coleus and unknown Salvia


Thunbergia erecta 'Tru Blu'


Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum'


Ixora


Streptocarpus caulescens or Nodding Violet


my unknown Dendrobium ... I think it's a Dendrobium bigibbum (such an unfortunate name!)


Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender'


Coleus and Impatiens walleriana


Justicia carnea and Impatiens walleriana


Hibiscus schizopetalus


and the Jasminum officinale is still filling the air with its fabulous sweet perfume.


Out in the bushland, the Acacia has begun its blooming cycle.



I'm not sure which Acacia it is, but I do so love those golden puffs scattered all along the branches.


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


14 comments:

  1. Good morning Bernie, it's lovely to see your blooms you have some real stunners there. I can't decide which is my favorite. Spring has officialy arrived and we have snow forcast for this coming week. Nothing like the great British weather.

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    1. Oh no! More snow! I'm sending some of our sunshine over there immediately. Spring in the northern hemisphere obviously needs some help.

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  2. It's always such a pleasure to see your photos. We are now having a change of seasons. Seasons do not always have English names and the indigenous people can tell of about 14 seasons in a year around here. The first dragon flies are about. The wind is strong and dry encouraging leaves to drop. We probably will still get rain but that should come to a halt just after Easter. Many a good Easter camping trip has been destroyed by rain! The fish are changing their habits too which is a sign of a new season. Different birds flying at dusk. Lizards are growing and changing.

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    1. Louise, I use the English terms for the four seasons, but in reality we really only have the wet and the dry season here. The wet season so far has been a huge disappointment, so we're really hoping that the coming dry won't be very long. The plants will really suffer otherwise as they haven't had their usual deep, deep soak.

      I loved hearing all about the little signs of the change in season. We've had quite a few more butterflies around than usual, and the night-time temps have started to drop a little, so it looks like our cooler weather is not too far off now.

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  3. Lovely flowers with pretty raindrops. I love the water lily. I hope you have a great weekend.

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    1. Gunilla, the Water Lilies certainly pick up when there's a little bit of rain about. They seem to stand up even taller and look a whole lot brighter.

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  4. Oh my goodness, looking at all of your lovely blooms makes me want to run outside and do something. I always enjoy seeing what is growing and blooming there for you. I hope you get some heavier rains to give the earth a good soaking.

    Have a great weekend and thank you for bday wishes.

    Love and hugs ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Lol, Lorraine, it sounds like you've been out doing quite a bit in the last week or so. We're all hoping for some really heavy rain this weekend, but I guess we will just have to wait and see.

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  5. We have so much of Lagerstroemia speciosa here. Beautiful post with beautiful flowers.

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    1. There is a lot of both the Lagerstroemia speciosa and the indica here in my city area too, Maria, as they do so very well in tropical conditions. They all look spectacular when in full bloom. I have three speciosa trees at my place which are quite mature, and a row of young indicas which are taking their time to become established.

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  6. You have such beautiful flowers! I love that blue one that looks like a butterfly and the white one before it, a jellyfish! Wonderful:)

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  7. Lots of lovely plants and trees I haven’t seen before a usual! Or maybe I have seen some of them on your blog before, but forgotten? One I do remember is your Dendrobium bigibbum, what a plant – and what a name! I hope you get some splashing rain soon, if not I can send you some, it’s raining over here again….

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  8. Hello Bernie, your photos are gorgeous! Greetings from Montreal, Canada.

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  9. G'day Bernie....The tree with the pink pods on it is gorgeous. It may be considered a weed tree but it's very striking. Love seeing the blooming things in your garden and especially the wattle. The smell of it to me reminds me of clean washed sheets that have been hanging outside on the clothesline. Not a great deal of smell but I do love it. It's a very expensive flower to put in arrangements here. We had freezing temps last night but promised warm days again. I just hope the cold has not killed what has started blooming but I fear it might.

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