Christmas Wishes from Downunder

I'm still away from my home and my garden, and apparently my poor garden is suffering without me!  It's been hot, humid and horrible in the north-east corner where my garden is located and the place is dry and parched.  The rains should arrive soon ... fingers crossed!  I'm afraid my darling other half doesn't have green fingers and is finding it difficult keeping the potted plants going. 

Anyway, I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.  I hope you have a lovely festive season wherever you may be in the world.

Flower Flaunt Friday ... On This Last Day Of Spring.

Today is officially the last day of our Spring, but with daytime temps. up around 32 deg C (90 F) every day, and humidity levels around 70% for most of the day, the conditions here are most definitely summery already.

We're still seeing lots of dark, threatening clouds in the sky, but the promise they hold doesn't amount to much.  Occasionally patches of scattered rain are recorded over the city, but here in the foothills we seem to have missed them so far.

Out in the garden the Daylily parade continues.

Hemerocallis 'Maleny Tiger'

Hemerocallis 'Jamaican Me Crazy'

The first of my Hemerocallis 'Bela Lugosi' blooms seems to have been nibbled by something.  It must be very tasty.

Hemerocallis 'Sweet Summer Heat'

Hemerocallis 'Wedding Band' has put on a great show this year.

All the Delonix regia trees are covered in their fabulous orangey-red flower sprays.

There are beautiful stark white blooms on my Gardenia augusta.  I love watching the buds open slowly ...

... and a couple of days later the flowers start changing from the brilliant white to a creamy white as they age.

There are still some lovely Petunias on show out in the courtyard,

and the pots of Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' add pretty splashes of purple.

The Rosebud Pelargonium is attracting lots of tiny little nectar-loving insects,

while the Clerodendrum ugandense blooms fill me with joy.  I've been waiting a long time to have one of these fabulous plants and I'm now completely smitten with these beautiful butterfly-like blooms.

The poor Mussaenda philippica 'Bangkok Rose' out in the front garden bed is doing its best to flower, but the long dry season has seen the colourful bracts and tiny flowers remain wrapped up tightly like a closed fist.


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

Today's Flowers

and Tina for Weekend Flowers

Flower Flaunt on this End-Of-Spring Friday.

November is our last month of Spring, and as we approach the last days of November it already feels like Summer.  The daytime temp. has been increasing gradually over the last month, and at the moment the mercury hovers up around 32 deg C (89 F) every day.   The humidity adds an extra special touch.  We experience a very steamy sticky heat which saps the energy very, very quickly.  The garden is starting to show signs of stress as our dry season is now in its 8th month.  Everything around the property is bone dry, and I'm out watering every single day.

Thankfully there are still some lovely blooms on show.  While the Asiatic and Oriental Lilies have now finished blooming, the Daylilies are putting on their brilliant show now.

Hemerocallis 'Sabine Baur'

Hemerocallis 'Maleny Tiger'

Hemerocallis 'Picotee Bubbles'

Hemerocallis 'Shocking'

Hemerocallis 'Francois Verhaert'

Hemerocallis ' Wedding Band' with Justicia brandgeanna

There are a few other blooms around the place.

Turnera subulata

Plumeria rubra

Gardinia augusta

Thunbergia erecta 'Tru Blu'

Russelia juncea

Spathiphyllum

Pelargonium peltatum

I'm joining Tina for Weekend Flowers

Nix for Floral Friday Fotos

and I'm joining the Today's Flowers  meme.

Mosaic Monday ... The Daylily Show

Well I'm back from my little break, and I was greeted by the sight of some of my lovely Hemerocallis on show.  This is their time to shine and I'm so looking forward to this last huge flush of colour before our horrid Summer arrives to take a toll on the garden.

Right now it's our last Spring month, and the daytime temperatures are climbing above 30 deg C, with humidity levels up in the high 70%s / low 80%.  The days are muggy, steamy and very, very warm.

Hemerocallis varietal names -
Top row L to R:  'Wedding Band', 'Jamaican Midnight', 'Archangel Eyes'
Middle row L to R:  'Jamaican Me Crazy', 'Francois Verhaert', 'Maleny Tiger'
Bottom row L to R:  'Shocking', 'Sweet Summer Heat' and 'Velvet Eyes'.

I'm joining Mary for Mosaic Monday

Taking A Break.

Just taking some time out for a while.  I'll be back in a couple of weeks.  I thought I'd just leave you all with a mosaic of our fantastic native Planchonia careya or Cocky Apple, which is blooming away beautifully everywhere around me at the moment.

Friday Flower Flaunt ... On This First Friday of our Last Spring Month

Here it is already ... our last Spring month.  That means the gardening year is almost over for me, as the Summertime is always very hard on the garden and the gardener.  I am enjoying lots of great blooms at the moment though, and I'm savouring every moment I get to share with them!!!

Hemerocallis 'Maleny Tiger'

Asiatic Lilium (Matisse Collection) 'Golden Stone'

Asiatic Lilium

Olde World Lilium 'Pink Brilliant'

Olde World Lilium 'Nuance'

Olde World Liliums

Spathiphyllum

Torenia, Salvia, Angelonia, Pentas, Portulaca and Impatiens.

Mandevilla 'White Fantasy'

Salvia leucantha 'White Velour'

Dietes bicolor

Hemerocallis 'Jamaican Midnight'

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

Tina for Weekend Flowers

and Nix for Floral Friday Fotos