Well the conditions seemed to have returned to our usual mid-Winter and dry season experiences ... bright sunny, blue-sky days. Today is definitely one of those glorious mid-Winter days, with the mercury up at around 25 deg C (77 F) right now, just before midday, and only a low of 14 deg C (57 F) expected tonight. Ah, winter! There really is nothing quite like a tropical winter!
There's nothing different on show today, compared to last week or the week before, or the week before that. Well, you get the idea!
The huge frilly, showy Petunia 'Giant Victorious' and 'Double Whites' really cheer me up when I come home form a long day's work and step onto the courtyard.
The brilliant double white Impatiens walleriana looks wonderful as a backdrop to all the colour of the Petunias.
I don't know what I'd do without Impatiens around the place. They are such a fabulous plant for the tropics. I really adore the blooms of the New Guinea Impatiens, Impatiens hawkeri 'Celebrette',
and I love the way the old-fashioned single-bloom Impatiens walleriana just pops up around the place ... in pots out in the shadehouse,
or in the potted Asiatic and Oriental Lilies when they have died back. I don't mind these volunteers at all.
I'm also loving the usual wintertime display from my potted Azaleas out on the courtyard,
and my dwarf Azalea out in the front garden bed.
One of my favourite sights is this Salvia splendens hybrid in bloom out in the courtyard. This is Salvia 'Dusky Hues' and I just love the range of beautiful reds, pinks, apricots and purples.
I think they look fabulous even when the blooming cycle is coming to an end.
They are firm favourites with the resident Yellow-Bellied Sunbirds, who are feasting on the nectar of these flowers every day at the moment. The photo above shows a female enjoying here early morning sip!
She also enjoyed snacking on the blooms of my Schlumbergera.
Here's the male, with his fantastic metallic blue patch, also enjoying the Salvia blooms.
My reliable Begonia semperflorens or Wax Begonias are doing their thing, as usual,
and my Begonia 'Tiger Paws' has started its blooming cycle once more. I do so love seeing these tall flower spikes appear.
The dwarf pink Euphorbia pulcherrima is showing its first bracts and blooms. Unfortunately I lost both my red and my white Poinsettias during the cyclone last year. I'm missing their wintertime display very much this year.
One sight I haven't seen in a couple of years is the bloom spike on one of my Dracaena fragrans, commonly known as the Happy Plant here in Oz or the Corn Plant in the U.S. I can't wait for the blooms to open and I can once again catch a whiff on its wonderful perfume gently wafting around the courtyard.
I'm joining Tootsie for her Fertilizer Friday / Flaunt Your Flowers meme
I'm joining Tina for Weekend Flowers
Your Winter is a lot warmer than our Summer !! But here too impatiens never fail, they bloom from May till the first frosts.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend !
gwennie
Hi Gwennie, we're very lucky here as the Impatiens walleriana bloom almost continuously all year round. We do have very, very mild winters here in the tropics and, of course, our summers are incredibly hot and horrid.
DeleteWhat a glorious garden!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Joyful.
DeleteYour winter blooms are far more exciting that my summer washout blooms in fact I have very little to show at the moment. I love the little Sunbirds.
ReplyDeleteSueb, it's a shame the rain has been falling almost relentlessly over there and spoiling your lovely summer garden. Is that sun out yet?
DeleteNo sun yet although the weather man says summer is arriving tomorrow!
Deletewow beautiful flowers , i am loving it .fresh flowers make my mood so good:) Eid gifts to pakistan
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed your visit, Mehmona Ruby. I too just love flowers. They really do cheer me up.
DeleteIt is great to see the sun again. I never know how you have time to work, garden and blog. The blooms are lovely. My impatiens have all disappeared. The begonias have succumbed to the wet and the garden in general as suffered from my travelling. I must get back into it starting tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteDiane, I almost jumped for joy when the sun shone bright and strong!! Lol! We're just not used to so many dreary overcast days in mid-winter here. I'm sure your garden will recover beautifully now that you're home again. I think if I had to toss up taking some time to travel and stay at home gardening, I'd most likely choose the travel! I've really enjoyed taking a virtual trip along with you while reading your posts.
DeleteBernie,
ReplyDeleteYou have tons of flowers still blooming, love the salvia. The double petunias are beautiful and reminded me that I haven't seen much of them in the past few years. I think the Supertunias have taken over in the U.S.
Eileen
Thanks Eileen. I just adore the double Petunias. I prefer them over all the single varieties, but I do grow both every year. The Supertunias are indeed great additions to the garden here as well, as they are just so hardy, but I love the big blousy show of the doubles.
DeleteLove the double petunias and adore seeing your native birds!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you dropping by Darla. The Sunbirds have been very active around here lately. They had been a little quiet in the last couple of months, but I've been seeing this particular pair several times a day, every day.
DeleteSo many beautiful flowers in your garden!
ReplyDeleteAlways great to see you dropping by to visit, thanks Jama.
DeleteBernie, I do not know why you worry about all the weeks before, I mine looked like that for any week, I would be pretty happy. Love the begonia's and Salvia. LT
ReplyDeleteYou're very kind, thanks LE for your comment. I suppose we can take things for granted a little too much. I guess what's boring to me eyes may not be boring to others.
DeleteI love your garden!
ReplyDeleteIt's like haven!
Have a great weekend!
I really appreciate it when someone enjoys popping by to see what' blooming here, and seems to love what they see. It makes me appreciate it even more. Thanks Anastasia.
DeleteHow amazing you were able to capture
ReplyDeletethe Sun Birds in your flowers!
Beautiful and your garden is also.
Sandy
Sandy, I have to take lots of shots with my old Canon on the off chance I'll get something good. Sometimes I get lucky.
DeleteBernie I do envy your tropical winters! Love those little Sunbirds jumping around enjoying all the nectar on your pretty flowers. Hummers here would be out doing the same thing if I had anything blooming for them. All my stuff is pretty much fried.
ReplyDeleteJean, our tropical winters are fabulous. We get so many southerners making the journey up here to escape their dreary cold winters down there. The Sunbirds are a constant presence around here, but lately this little pair have been visiting the courtyard several times a day. Hopefully your horrid summer will be coming to an end soon and those fried plants will recover.
DeleteMid winter for you truly is spectacular. Mid summer up here is too hot and has been too dry, so I need to come by your blog for some refreshment and beautiful pictures. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou're most welcome anytime Laurrie. I do the same thing when we're in the middle of our horrid summers here. I actually love visiting the blogs from the northern hemisphere in the middle of winter as it provides a welcome break from the heat and humidity, even if it is only virtually.
DeleteYour winter garden and courtyard look so lovely. Impatiens are a staple in my garden too. I love double petunias and the red one against the white impatiens is just beautiful. Have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are gorgeous.
ReplyDeletePurple Star
lovely flowers and a cute little bird, i never seen him before
ReplyDeleteSo nice to visit your garden in winter, Bernie and see beautiful blooms and Sunbirds, thank you for sharing your special place
ReplyDeleteYour garden is so very lovely, espec. those frilly petunias! the birds shots are phenomenal.....
ReplyDeleteYou have a very gorgeous flowery garden, taking photos of the visitors that come to my garden is something I will have to do. Thanks for linking up, you've made my day :)
ReplyDeleteSo many beautiful flowers. We only have small potted poinsettias for Christmas, we call them Christmas stars.
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are very pretty!
ReplyDeleteMy entry.
What a nice winter view. I was hoping for a picture of your courtyard. So pretty. These are annuals for us in East Texas, are they for you?
ReplyDeleteOh that is a pretty begonia! Our happy plant at the back is blooming and it is a wonderful scent - you smeel it way before you see it.
ReplyDeletewhat a good flaunt this is Bernie. I especially appreciate the sunbird - never seen one before, and the begonia tiger paws and the dracemia bloom spike - also never seen , and never smelt.
ReplyDeleteWinter? But your garden is still blooming beautifully. I like the pink poinsettia.
ReplyDeleteBernie, your winter flowers are like our summer flowers, finally we got the same ones! I also have Impatiens, Petunia, Asiatic and Oriental Lilies, Azaleas, Salvia, Begonia, Euphorbia. The only one I don’t have is the Dracaena fragrans, and my Schlumbergera is called Christmas cactus for obvious reasons and is an indoor plant :-) Lovely photos as always, I so enjoy visiting your garden, hope the sun is staying, we finally got sunshine in London!!
ReplyDeletei really like ur great collections of flowers u r captured from different place it is vary fabulous and nice.
ReplyDelete