It's official ... the rainfall total for last month, our beginning of Autumn month, hit an all-time record. Ever since weather records began, we've never had so much liquid sunshine for the month of March. It rained for around 23 days of that month and we received 655 mm or around 26 inches!
It's been such a wet start to the year so far and it hasn't let up ... we are pining for real sunshine here! My great survivors and surprises through this monsoonal rainy season have included ....
My unknown Orchid out in the Shadehouse Garden which has thrown out a wonderful spray of flowers.
The Neomarica longifolia or Yellow Walking Iris has continued to put on its' show out in the Shadehouse Garden all through these rainy months.
Salvia splendens have soldiered on regardless of all the weather extremes we've experienced.
Finally there's a flower spike on my Salvia madrensis, which is another of the new plants in my garden.
The dwarf Angelonia angustifolia 'Serena' or Summer Snapdragons are showing their marvellous little bell-shaped flowers. Despite being a drought tolerant plant, it has come through the never-ending 'wet' season in brilliant style. I will have to get more of this plant ... I'm thinking of creating a huge drift of them in the outdoor tiered garden bed that's been such a difficult area to plant.
This is a new development. While I've had a couple of clumps of this red Gerbera in this garden bed for many, many years, this is the first time I've seen one pop up with a black centre. I quite like it!
Celosia argentea var. plumosa is re-seeding itself in a couple of my containers ... always a welcome sight.
Here's a new sight and a fabulous surprise out in my garden. The particular spot in the driveway garden where this shrub is growing, had an enormous and tall tree canopy over it, which was ripped away during the recent cyclone. This shrub, now out in the open, has flowered for the first time. I'm still trying to identify the shrub ... but I am completely captivated by its' gorgeous spotty flowers.
My Jasminum officinale or Poet's Jasmine is flowering at last ... albeit rather sporadically. It needs hours and hours of hot overhead sunshine to reveal it's true beauty and that has been sadly lacking for many months now, so I'm pleased to see it making an effort to show even a few flowers.
The birds have been returning to the bushland and it was a real treat to spot a pair of Forest Kingfishers around the property. Can you see the little one perched on the gate showing off the beautiful turquoise on its' wing? The colour is so much more vivid in reality, but the shot was taken on yet another overcast dreary day and from quite a distance away, so the brilliance was somewhat lost in the translation.
For more terrific Fertilizer / Flaunt Your Flowers Friday posts, visit Tootsie at
Tootsie Time
I'm also joining the
Today's Flowers meme, so make sure you visit that blog to see some more lovely flowers.
Well, even tho you've been "under water" you still have gorgeous blooms and hardy plants. The snaps will look beautiful in a drift. And the dainty jasmine flower is sooo pretty.
ReplyDeleteSending some sunshine your way!
*hugs*deb
Your orchid is beautiful Bernie. With the raindrops on it it makes a gorgeous image.But I am in love with the shot of your Jasmine. The rain is getting some new seedling sprouting for you.That tree growing by the gate reminds me of Memosia.
ReplyDeleteYour orchids and orchid-like bloomers look so beautiful. They apparently like the rain!
ReplyDeleteBeth
Wow, I love your photos, It's so crisp and so real like I almost touched it. I like that sweet pea flower. :) My Fertilizer Friday
ReplyDeleteAll of the flowers are beauties but I especially like the salvias, the black and blue and that salmon are great.
ReplyDeleteEileen
Just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteStopping by from Tootsie's place for Fertilizer Friday. I shared my azaleas on my other non-food blog "My New 30."
Thanks Deb ... the sunshine hasn't arrived yet, but I'll keep a lookout! It would be more than welcome here.
ReplyDeleteHocking Hills Gardener ... I've really missed the Jasmine over the summer and early autumn. It's in need of some bright hot sunshine. That growing tree by the gate in the last shot is a Poinciana that's popped up. It does have leaves similar to a Mimosa.
Beth, yes the Orchid and Angelonias just seem to power on no matter what.
Mel, thank you for visiting. It's always great to meet new gardeners. I'll be popping over to visit you very soon.
Eileen, I think I will be planting lots more Salvia around the place. They have been the great survivors and have impressed me immensely.
Mary ... it's terrific that you stopped by and I will definitely pop over to see those Azaleas.
Those are such beautiful flowers, especially the Gerbera and Celosia! And the bird on the fence is so cute and colorful.
ReplyDeleteHi Bernie! That unknown Orchid is incredible! What a beauty! I've never seen a picture of Gerber daisy's growing in a natural setting. I like the black center too!
ReplyDeleteMy region may have beat you with # of days of rain in March, but your region has us beat on rainfall amount! 26 inches..wow! Cheers, Jenni
Lovely photos and flowers to flaunt Bernie.
ReplyDeleteWow! Your dry tropics are extremely beautiful! Here from Tootsie's.
ReplyDeleteDear Bernie - all that wind and water and still your garden flaunts some lovely blooms (and Kingfishers). The Poet's jasmine is inspiring but the best for me was your first time flowering shrub proving that "it's an ill wind blaws naebody gude"
ReplyDeleteLaura
Calling by from Tootsie Time as participating in Fertiliser Friday and really enjoying meeting everyone else. Glorious photos, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletewhat amazing beauties you have blooming in your garden. every photo is fantastic--you live in paradise!
ReplyDeleteToday's Flowers
Gorgeous garden Bernie if these flowers are an indication of what you have to share. Our area of Central Queensland is usually very dry but it's beginning to feel like North Queensland with all the rain of late. Just love your first orchid shot.
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful collection.
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful,exotic flowers you have. The unknown Orchid is truly magnificent!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers and I like seeing the Autumnal rain on them:)
ReplyDeleteOh, I love your photos, especially with the raindrops! That yellow walking iris is gorgeous! Haven't seen them around here. We only have the Neomarica gracilis. I love the woodland look of your garden!
ReplyDeleteThat is a lot of rain. I think we had about 8 inches last month, which is high too.
ReplyDeleteQuite a haul on the flowers. I like that Peachy Salvia we don't get that color around here.
I love the "softness" of so many of these photos, like being there. NICE blog!
ReplyDeleteHi from BC Canada, way up here! :<)
Great post for "flaunt your flowers"! It's uplifting to see so much color when we're still expecting snow showers tonight.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing how thunderstorms bring orchids into bloom? Yours are quite spectacular with perfect blooms even with the rain on them.
ReplyDeleteGreat collection of shadehouse wonders.
Your garden always have beautiful blooms Bernie. Love all of them!
ReplyDeleteHi Bernie - your garden is beautiful with so many wonderful flowers and plants, a really special place! I believe your orchid is a Dendrobium bigibbum also known as "Cooktown orchid". It's native to Northeastern Australia and New Guinea. There are many varieties of this orchid with colors ranging from deep purple to purest white and yours such a beauty with blushed pink cheeks! Thank you very much for growing and sharing this very special native orchid.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes forget to visit this site, i am more often in the other. YOu show also a lot of beauties here, as if they really love those excessive rains. I am glad i learned the name of that yellow iris, however your orchid i only know as Dendrobium sp but i dont know the cultivar. We also have that kingfisher in our property in the province.
ReplyDeleteEu adorei seu blog! Fiquei encantada com a gerbera vermelha!
ReplyDelete