Waterfalls ... The Year In Photographs ... February 26, 2013

The wonderful Phyllanthus myrtifolius or Waterfall Plant is blooming again.

The lovely pendulous red blooms make a great display.

Friday Flower Flaunt ... As Our Summertime Starts Coming To An End.

I'm doing the countdown now, as our summer months are about to officially finish.  There's  now only one more week of summer to go ... but of course the summertime temps and humidity levels will continue for a little while yet.  Still, my favourite time of the gardening year is just around the corner and almost in sight now.   If only we could get a little more rain.  We've really only had around half of our average summer rain this summer as we haven't had much of a wet season at all.

At the moment the fabulous summer-blooming Queen's Myrtle, Lagerstroemia speciosa, is in all her glory.

The Mussaenda philippica 'Bangkok Rose' almost pale into insignificance against the backdrop of the Queen's Myrtle.

The fabulous lavender purple of the Queen Myrtle flowers really stands out in the soft glow of the early evening.

Costus productus continues its year-round show.

There are more and more pure white blooms appearing on the climbing vines of the Jasminum.  I really love the pink buds.

The Portulaca always cheers me up with their lovely colours.

The fabulous purple Water Lily is a delight.

My Brassocattleya hybrid continues to put on a very pretty display.

There are more pink blooms appearing on the dwarf Azalea shrub in the front garden bed.

There are several Ixoras in bloom around the place, including this gorgeous lemon yellow variety.

My favourite Pentas is showing off.

There are buds appearing once more on my Aeschynanthus lobbianus or Lipstick Plant,

and my pretty Callistemon 'Pink Champagne' has begun another blooming cycle.

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

 

and Nix for Floral Friday Fotos 

I'm also joining Today's Flowers

Everything's Coming Up Rosy ... The Year In Photographs ... February 22, 2013

There's a lovely pink glow as the sun sets this evening.

I particularly love the way the Gum trees seem to be painted with a rosy pink hue.

Cricket Anyone? ... The Year In Photographs ... February 21, 2013

I've been seeing lots of grasshoppers around lately, which is pretty stock standard for summertime.  But this little fellow looks more like a cricket of some sort.

I really love the patterned back of this little creature.

I don't love the damage it's leaving behind on my poor Pelargonium however.

From Our Verandah ... The Year In Photographs ... February 20, 2013

I never tire of the view from the verandah that wraps around our house.  Some mornings the outlook is just so lush and green.

The recent rain has helped transform the parched bushland that surrounds our place.

Time For The Queen ... The Year In Photographs ... February 17, 2013

It's Queen's Myrtle blooming time at my place.  One of my Lagerstroemia speciosa is on show right now.

This fabulous Lagerstroemia grows taller than the very familiar Lagerstroemia indica or Crepe Myrtle.  It is an outstanding summer-blooming tropical tree.

I simply adore the gorgeous large rose pink-purple flowers.

These grand crinkly flowers are obviously loved by many insects as well, as there are various six-legged visitors feasting on the nectar every day.

 

On The I.D. Trail ... The Year In Photographs ... February 12, 2013

I received a few pass-along Orchid plants just a couple of years back.  The lovely old lady who gave them to me couldn't give me a name to match, so I've had to do a bit of research.  I've posted photos and a request for an ID on several sites, and there seems to be a consensus of opinion on at least of them.   It seems I'm in the possession of a Brassocattleya (Bc) Maikai hybrid.

It started blooming late last week,

and has faded to this lovely very pale purple.

Then just yesterday, another of the pass-along Orchids opened up for the first time.  It certainly looks similar although it's slightly darker in colour and has a slightly different shaped bloom.  Could it also be a Brassocattleya hybrid?

Look To The Sky ... The Year In Photographs ... February 10, 2013

While wandering out around the property this afternoon, I noticed a massive vapour trail streaking across the blue sky.  It lasted up there for ages.

Supposedly, a long-lasting vapour trail is an early indicator of a storm.  Maybe there will be a little thunder, and possibly rain this evening.

Newbies ... The Year In Photographs ... February 8, 2013

I went to the nursery today, just to purchase some seed starting mix. That's all that was on my list, I promise, but as I walked in through the gates, I heard the siren song of some Gingers on display just inside.  I just couldn't resist taking a couple home.

Let me introduce my two new Gingers ...

Curcuma alismatifolia on the left, and Globba capicola on the right.  Aren't they lovely?

Flower Flaunt Friday ... On This Late Summer's Day.

The end of our summer is in sight now, and that brings a smile to my dial.  After the atrocious heat and humidity we experienced last week and some of the week before, this week has felt a little bit cooler.  The daytime temperatures only dropped back around the 30-31 deg C mark, but there has been a huge drop in humidity levels, and this has made the summer conditions far more comfortable.

Out in the garden blooms are a bit hard to find at the moment, especially in the courtyard and shadehouse gardens.  

One lovely Orchid has bloomed out in the shadehouse, but I'm still on the hunt for an I.D.  I think it may be
Brassocattleya (Bc.) Maikai 'Louise', which is a Brassavola (B.) nodosa X Cattleya (C.) bowringiana hybrid.  The jury is still out on this one though.

Most of the blooms can be found in the outdoor garden beds at this time of the year.  In the tiered garden beds in front of the shadehouse,

the Iris domestica,

the Hemerocallis 'Rue Madelaine',

the Mussaenda 'Calcutta Sunset',

and the pink and purple Lagerstroemia indica are blooming.

In the front-of-house garden bed,

there's a Mussaenda philippica 'Bangkok Rose' and Russelia making a nice colour combination.

In the driveway rock garden areas,

the Turnera ulmifolia

and Turnera subulata are on show.

So is the Thunbergia erecta 'Tru Blu'

and the pretty Polygala.


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

Nix for Floral Friday Fotos

and Weekend Flowers