It's time for a GBBD (Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day) post from Downunder. It's early Summer and I took a walk around the garden this morning after another shower of rain. It was a fairly short walk ... the humidity level rose to 90% after the shower whilst the mercury said 26 deg C, it felt more like 29 deg C even though it was only 7.30 am! Ah ... the pleasures of what we fondly call 'the build-up' ... the period in between the episodes of pelting rain when we sit and swelter in the humidity and longingly wish for more rain to give us some respite.
So, come along on the walk with me on this early Summer's day. Grab your cuppa as there's a bit to see.
First we go out through the Greenhouse/Shadehouse garden ...
The Coleus is flowering beautifully ...
and so are all the Dragonwing Begonias.
Now what is that I spy draped across the front of the red Dragonwing?
What a charming sight ... like little diamonds glistening in the morning sun! As I turn around, my eyes fall on another enchanting display. It's the stunning Mauve Dancing Lady ... Globbi winitii. I just love this beauty!
Then I spot a tiny delicate little beauty right besdie the Globbi ... it's the first bloom on my Geranium 'Jester's Jacket'. What a delight!
I noticed that the Calathea ornata hadn't quite opened up yet ... still saying its morning prayers perhaps!
How bright and cheery are those little yellow star flowers?
There's also the fluffy vision of Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' ...
... and the welcome sight of the gorgeous white Pentas right beside it.
Now let's take a quick stroll down the hillside driveway ... accompanied by the call of the Spangled Drongo, looking resplendent this morning with its long forked tail, glossy black plumage and blood red eyes,
all the while listening to the little Kookaburra learning how to sing like its mother ... he's not very good just yet! He sounds more like a hoarse opera singer, but I'm sure he'll be laughing with gusto before too long.
I spot the very last spray of Jacaranda mimosifolia flowers left in the tree at the top of the hill driveway.
The brilliant foliage of one of the many Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Roseflake' bushes catches my eye quickly ...
... but then, I turn and see my stunning Cassia fistula - Golden Shower Tree - is in full bloom at the end of the driveway! I rush on down barely noticing the blooms high up on the branches of the Plumeria ...
... yeah, yeah quite pretty ...
... but take a look at this! I stop to drink it all in.
It really does look magnificent this morning full of little golden buds and those superb bright golden yellow blooms.
If you look closely enough, you'll also see just a couple of bottlebrush blooms on my Callistemon citrinus right beside my Cassia.
Then alongside my Callistemon is my Citharexylum spinosum, commonly known as the Fiddlewood, and it's covered in sprays of tiny pristine white flowers which are attracting lots of little bees at the moment.
Now, as I swing around, I am greeted by another terrific beauty ... my white Mussaenda philippica.
I just adore the frilly frothy white blooms on this shrub.
Time to head back inside, down the pergola stairway, past the wonderful windmill fronds of the Pritchardia pacifica or Fiji Palm ...
... strolling through the Courtyard Garden a little too hastily ... tripping past the dazzling Wrightia,
... the darling Dahlias
... the delicate Peace Lily
... the definitely different curled-up caterpillarish-looking new unfurling fronds of the Tree Fern
... the dazzling cascade of Dichondra 'Silver Falls' ...
... and the delightful show of the Evolvulus Pilosus 'Sapphire blue'.
Oh dear, I think the heat and humidity is getting to me ... what's with all these d's? Definitely, time for my early holiday morning daily double ... tea and toast out in the shade of the Courtyard Garden! Look, Mother Nature has already decorated the table for me.
For other GBBD posts, make sure you visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.
Oh, dear Bernie, how you make me long for summer! I am positively green-eyed. I'd trade ya this arctic blast anyday for that humid "build-up" time and all those blooms. There's no humidity that can't be tempered by a glass of iced tea under an ancient live oak. Love all your photographs, especially that spiderweb! I've got to learn how to take web shots.
ReplyDeleteBernie, I too am reminded of summer and the abundant blooms of that season...all the blooms are waning here in Austin but it's time for the garden to rest. I so enjoyed my visit...so many lovely shots but I think the first is my favorite ;-) Happy bloom day.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the walk around your lovely garden. It made me feel warm, which is just what I needed on this cold and frosty December day in Italy. I love the photograph of the Calathea ornata (is that the wonderful purple leafed plant?) You have so many plants I don't recognise at all, I'm going to look some of them up to see if they would survive here. Christina
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful garden! Globbi winitii is really a pretty :-D Love the colour also. That Calcutta mussaenda is rarely seen here. Once I saw it in an old park. Above all, I just like the varieties of plants you grow. And, thanks for sharing about impatiens.
ReplyDeleteBernie your garden is always amazing and the one thing that I really notice throughout your photos is the beautiful light. That is one of the things here that I miss during a winter with us - poor light.
ReplyDeleteYour foliage is just as stunning as the flowers. One day I would love to see a Jacaranda in bloom.
I would love to take a photo of a spider's web like that one.
Floridagirl ... whilst I really don't envy you the freezing cold and frost, it would be nice to see a snow-covered winter landscape at Christmas time! Well for at least a few minutes or so anyway. I'll have to be content with the palms and gums standing under a blazing hot sun, instead!
ReplyDeleteWhimsical Gardener, thanks for dropping by! It's nice to see a fresh face ... well you know what I mean. I'm glad you enjoyed the visit.
Christina ... yes the purple leaved plant is the Calathea ornata. I'm not sure how it would go over in Italy as it doesn't really like the cold all that much. Glad to see you dropping in to visit. Do come again.
Steph ... thank you lovely lady for your kind comments once again. You do say the nicest things! My Calcutta Sunset is still quite young and small, so I'm looking forward to seeing it grow and flourish.
Rosie ... lovely to see you again! A mature Jacaranda tree in full bloom is definitely a must-see! It's a drop-dead gorgeous vision! As for the web shot, pure luck again. I took a few shots and got lucky!
Wonderful, just wonderful!
ReplyDeleteBernie, you must have known what we all needed in this part of the world! Keep that beauty coming.
ReplyDeleteEileen
It is amazing to see your beautiful tropical flowers. While we are all under snow or suffering from freezing temperatures, you are sweating through the next humid rain. Thanks for this wonderful post. Carolyn
ReplyDeleteIt is so odd to see a kookaburra sitting in someone's garden! (I'm sure it isn't so odd for you). What an impressive display of flowers blooming, I'm so glad technology has advanced to the point that snowbound gardeners on this side of the globe can get a glimpse of warmth and beauty somewhere else. :)
ReplyDeleteLovely flowers, Bernie. I especially like the Wrightia and the Dancing girl. I had written a comment when I had a free period in school, but the computer had a glitch, and didn't send it.
ReplyDeletealoha bernie,
ReplyDeletei love your winter colors and textures that you are sharing with us this morning...summer is really in full bloom down under. your dancing lady is spectacular one of my favorites in my garden to.
noel
What a delight to stroll with you through your beautiful and lush garden! I didn't even mind the humidity, especially since it's near zero (F) here and my garden is covered with snow. I complained all summer about the heat and humidity, but now I'm rueing those complaints:) So many beautiful blooms--the Mauve Dancing Lady is a new plant to me, but what a stunner! And I enjoyed seeing the Kookburras, birds I've only read about. Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIve always admire your beautiful garden, they have so many beautiful varieties of tropical flowers! Great photos too!
ReplyDeleteHi Bernie, nice to see such a cheery set of flowers from the other side of the world. We would need an awfully big greenhouse to duplicate what you have growing there. Ironically, I had just posted about the coleus flowers appearing on our indoor cuttings here and then I see a real set of flowers on yours...
ReplyDeleteGolly me ! what a fantastic show of flowers that we can only dream about Bernieh , I couldn't possibly choose a favourite .. It's nice for me to get the chance to see the kind of plants and flowers that my cousins in Australia are seeing and wondering if they have them in their garden , Thank you :o) Amy GOY ... England
ReplyDeleteIt's odd to see such familiar plants as Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' and Angelwing Begonias, side by side with things I have only ever seen in botanical gardens, or not at all. Gorgeous flowers, though I'm not really jealous - I'll take snow and cold over humidity and heat any day! :)
ReplyDeleteMac, thank you for your visit and kind words.
ReplyDeleteEileen, a bit of colour from Downunder never goes astray!
Carolyn ... stay snug and warm while we perspire and parch! Luckily our gardens survive both!
Aaron ... it's lovely to have such colour around at Christmastime!
Eliza ... I'm glad I could brighten your day ... and we have loads of Kookaburras here! They're like old friends.
Lotusleaf ... while I got your comment so the computer must have had a change of heart and got over its glitch! Thanks for dropping by.
Noel, only too happy to share all our Christmas summertime colour.
Rose, lovely to see you! The garden is certainly showing off some great blooms at the moment so it was great to share them with you.
ReplyDeleteP3, glad you liked the selection I shared today. It's always good to hear that others enjoy the display as well.
John, yes I'm one of those who enjoys seeing the flowers on Coleus. I know so many people just cut them off, but I rather like their quiet understated beauty!
Amy, there's every possibility your cousin would have some of the same plants. Of course, it's a vast country with all sorts of gardening conditions here so there's also lots of variety.
Ivynettle ... I wouldn't mind if you shared some of the cooler weather, maybe not the frosts and huge snow drifts though!
Oh what a lovely set of flowering plants you have :)
ReplyDeleteMy China rose is a different name for hibiscus :)
BTW is your Hibiscus schizopetalus setting seeds? It looks so amazing!
Hi Bernie. You do not know how delightful it was for me to walk through your garden today.With five inches of new snow and counting this morning I so needed to see your blooms.Your garden is so beautiful this time of the year.I love the Hibiscus with its colorful variegation's. Just gorgeous. From the blooms to the diamond studded web what a wonderful morning.
ReplyDeleteWishing you and yours a Wonderful Christmas!
Bernie, what a joy it is to be transported back to sunny Australia (I know, I know...it's hot...but it sure looks good to me with our snow and frigid temps outside tonight) via your lovely garden tour. I loved seeing all the old favourites but there are quite a few 'new to me' plants and shrubs as well. The Dancing Lady is amazingly beautiful and your Cassia is like little drops of gold. How glorious!
ReplyDeleteOoh...Plumeria in pink and yellow...wonderful!
But seeing the Kookaburras is the best treat of all. What a beautiful photo of mummy and baby.
Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful garden and also for the Christmas greeting and sweet comment on my GBBD post.
I'll send some cool, snowy winter thoughts your way if you'll send me some warm, sunny ones :) Wishing you and yours a joy filled Christmas holiday season. Enjoy those grandkiddies!