December is early Summer here and there's blue sky as far as the eye can see. Nothing surprising there!
But what a lovely surprise I found this morning when I ventured out to trim back the rather unruly Salvia madrensis.
Yes, out I went, braving the scorching heat and sultry conditions on this early summer's morning, in order to do some much needed trimming back and this is what I found after beating the Salvia into submission.
Isn't it beautiful? I vaguely remember planting a couple of things around the Salvia last year, but had promptly forgotten all about them. The Salvia has really been a tour-de-force in this little area of the tiered garden bed and I just hadn't taken much notice of the other plants around it.
Now I'm not sure, but I think it's a Hemerocalis. What do you think? Whatever it is, I just adore the double blooms of this beauty.
Another surprise waiting for me this morning as I strolled around the place, was the sight of the first racemes on the Cassia fistula or Golden Shower Tree growing beside the hill driveway. I was despairing of seeing it bloom at all this year, as all the other Cassias in the neighbourhood have been in full bloom for weeks now, but my poor specimen was still in dry season mode with almost no leaves and definitely no flowers.
But, here they are at last ... and there are more buds to open in the coming weeks.
The white Mussaenda, Mussaenda philippica 'Aurore', also growing beside the hill driveway, has recovered from its trim back and has thrown out the first white bracts and orange star-shaped flowers.
The Duranta repens growing in the garden bed at the back of the courtyard garden is blooming for the first time.
The potted Duranta repens 'Geisha Girl' out in the courtyard garden is also blooming.
I have several Murraya paniculatas growing around the place. There's a huge one growing beside the hill driveway, one in a pot out on the courtyard and two growing in the downstairs Pentas garden bed. All are flowering at the moment and they have the most heavenly sweet fragrance.
The potted Cleome spinosa 'Senorita Rosalita' out in the courtyard also has a fragrance, but it's not so sweet. It's quite hard to describe really ... more like uumm ... insect repellent! Well, fragrance aside, this plant has been flowering non-stop for months now and the sight of those spider flowers always cheers me up. I just love the lilac purple.
I also love white flowers in the garden and out in the courtyard there are blooms on both the
Tabernaemontana corymbosa 'Sweet Love'
and the Wrightia antidysenterica 'Arctic Snow'.
"Arctic Snow? Where?" said the Pheasant Coucal to the human.
"What snow?' asked the Kookaburra, intrigued!
"Oh, she's just plain nuts1" replied the Sunbird.
"Yeah, nutty as that fruit cake in the pantry!" agreed the Pale-headed Rosella.
OK, it may be December, but the snow is a long, long way away from
here. Today we're sweltering in 36 deg C (96 F) heat and the humidity is
nothing short of awesome ... up over 70% today! There's been no sign of any more rain after the delightful falls we received over the past weekend.
I'm dreaming of jetting off to some far off spot where my extremities might become as blue as the sky outside. I swear I can see a big jumbo jet in that cloud formation out there ... enticing me with thoughts of frost on the grass and icicles on the windows!
"Come on, snap out of it woman! Let's get back to flaunting some flowers, OK?"
Whoops ... let's see ...
... oh yes, the Gomphrenas are putting on a fabulous display.
There's another gorgeous Dahlia showing its face ...
... and the Zinnia 'Mambo Pinks' are strutting their stuff.
The wonderfully perfumed Plumeria rubra flowers are a welcome sight ...
... and Hemerocallis 'Shocking' can't be ignored!
I'm joining
Skywatch Friday today.
I'm also joining Tootsie for her
Fertilizer Friday / Flaunt Your Flowers meme,
Floral Friday Fotos,
