The sun has risen on the start of our Summer season and here in my north-east corner of Australia, the heat is on! We've had quite a few days when our daytime highs have hit 32 or 33 deg C (89-91 F) and the humidity has started to climb up over the 70% mark. On this particular Fertilizer / Skywatch Friday, it's another overcast day with a sky filled with dark threatening clouds hanging around hinting at the possiblity of showers of rain today.
Out in the garden one of the poor wallaby-munched Dahlias has somehow managed to bloom and it's quite lovely.
This Dahlia was from a mixed punnet of seedlings, so I don't know the varietal name.
The Petunias are still powering on. My all-time favourites are most definitely the 'Bonanza' series with their frilly petals. Most have the white edges such as the bloom above ...
...but others just have the gorgeous frills. Either way, they just do it for me! ; )
Of course, this year I discovered the brilliant 'Bumble Bee' Petunias and just fell in love with their brilliant colours. The black and gold are an unexpected combination that just seems to work ... and these Petunias pair so well with the Vanilla Marigolds.
All the Petunias and Marigolds have been blooming non-stop since August, but they've just recently all had a cut back as they were getting so leggy and ugly. I'm sure they will now bloom on for quite a few more weeks.
The Pelargoniums are now hitting full stride and showing off their blooms.
The Portulacas, what we commonly call Sun Jewels, are also blooming.
The Mussaendas are parading their striking colourful bracts and teensy weensy yellow star-shaped flowers.
Mussaenda philippica 'Bangkok Rose' or 'Queen Sirikit' and ...
... Mussaenda 'Calcutta Sunset'.
The Ground Orchid,
Spathoglottis plicata, and Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue' make a pretty pair,
... as do the two variations of Poinciana blooms on display out at my front gate. There are Delonix regias standing on either side of the driveway into our place, and the colour of the flowers differ slightly. As you can see in the photo above, one of the trees has slightly more orangey blooms while the other has the usual darker red flowers. It's a great contrast!
Here's the orange blooms of the Poinciana on the right of the driveway ...
... and here are the red blooms of the Poinciana of the left side.
Elsewhere ...
... the Hemerocallis continue to bloom,
... the Mandevilla is on show,
... the Iris domestica has begun blooming once more,
... the Salvia madrensis is bursting out all over,
... the Justicia brandegeana or red Shrimp Plant is still flowering,
... and the Galphimia glauca, or Gold Shower Shrub, is providing lots of yummy nectar for our native Blue-banded bees.
As we begin our Summer here in north-east Oz, sometimes our days can be bright clear blue-sky days ...
and then some days can be dark, dreary, overcast, leaden-grey cloudy days.
Typical weather as the 'wet' season approaches. It's almost here!
For lots of superb sky shots, make sure you visit the Skywatch Friday meme.
I'm also joining Tootsie for her Fertilizer Friday / Flaunt Your Flowers meme,
Hi Bernie; just love visiting your blog and seeing round your bush garden; I could spend hours wandering around there with you I'm sure. So many to comment separately, but I loved the blue-banded bee, and especially the beautiful bird. It reminded me of a Star finch I think it was that but its stature appears too large for a finch. I'd love to know what bird it is; beautiful colours. Such a delightful nature's bounty setting. Cheers from me down South
ReplyDeleteHi Carole, so glad to see you popping in again. The Blue-banded Bees are almost a daily sight here as we have so many year-round bloomers that they seem to love.
ReplyDeleteThat bird is a Fig Bird and it is quite large, standing at around 25 cms. The one in the photo is a male, but we see lots of males and females here all through the year.
Bernie, welcome to Floral Friday Fotos! You have some stunning photos of some delightful flowers. I have enjoyed visiting here and seeing your vast sky vistas and then looking downward to take in the beauty of the blooms.
ReplyDeleteLovely music also!
Nixblog, I'm only too happy to join in your great blog as I usually show off the flowers in my garden on a Friday. I'm also very happy to support another Aussie blogger, so I'll be joining in regularly.
ReplyDeleteHi Bernie, those temps are regular to us except now, Dec-Feb, which are our lowest about 24-27C. But your blooms are still very pretty not feeling the heat yet, but most of them are heat tolerant. I love the Bumble bee petunia, i hope the petunia I planted from commercial seeds will bloom nicely.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous skies and your flowers are all beautiful. I wish I could be there to see them too. Thanks for sharing, have a great weekend. Happy Skywatching.
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are beautiful. Very nice picture taking too.
ReplyDeleteBetty
WOW Bernie!! You have such a huge variety of flowers. It must be lovely to walk outside to this.
ReplyDeleteThe Bumble Bee Petunia is very unique (I have never seen that variety). Have a lovely weekend! :)
Wow Bernie, those skies are magnificent. Unfortunately half your pictures wouldn't download tonight, have to come back to look for them again.
ReplyDeleteYou are lucky to have so much colour in your garden and all will freshen up now you are getting those rains. Here the temps are the same, but everything has dried out and up and is yellow. Fires have been raging already down South and like you have your cyclone kit ready, I have my firekit ready. One disadvantage of living in the bush. But the sunsets are magnificent now and skies are blue, true blue, lol.
Happy Skywatching too.
So much to look at and it's all beautiful!
ReplyDeleteO what a fscinating post! Those bumble bee petunias are an amazing colour and pattern!
ReplyDeletegorgeous as usual!!!!
ReplyDeleteOnce again I am just loving the tour of all the gardens that have linked in to my little party! I am so excited to visit each and every post...they are all so inspiring and I am NEVER disappointed! The creative gardens and colorful displays that I am lucky to see are inspirations that I would never have found had I not found each of the gardeners I see online! Thank you so much for sharing your garden with my Friday Flaunt this week...I do hope you will link in again soon!
This post is being shared on my Tootsie Time Facebook page too just so you are aware.
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`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
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Oh, the dahlias. Oh, the daylilies. Oh, the Poincianas. Oh, oh, oh! Such a delight to see summer coming there as we move toward winter.
ReplyDeletethanks for your wonderful weekend flowers! the skies are also very beautiful :) hope you have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThe wallabys have left quite a few dahlias for you! Your photos are so good- I like the one with the blue banded bee very much. I covet the black-and-gold petunia!
ReplyDeleteOh yes! Blooms, color and bees. What a feast for the eyes. The sun shining behind the clouds makes for such pretty pictures. I just adore your Mussaendas. The brats are just so pretty Bernie. The blooms on the Poinciana are marvelous too. What great blooms you ave in the summer. It is warming up there a little. LOL!Have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteBernie, those words Early Summer are music to my ears as we enter early winter. Your blooms are beautiful and will carry me through out winter.
ReplyDeleteEileen
All of your flowers are absolutely gorgeous but I am in love with the Sun Jewels. I also like the Bumble Bee petunia, I'm going to have to look for that one next summer.
ReplyDeleteLovely collection of flowers!
ReplyDelete