Flower Flaunt on a Drizzly, beginning-of-Autumn Friday.

We're almost at the end of our first Autumn month and we're getting a few squally patches of rain coming over the hills today.  In between these occasional patches, there's been a very light drizzle since very early this morning.  It's still wet season here, but this is the first bit of rain we've had since about mid-February.  It's not heavy enough to soak very far into the ground here, but it's refreshing.  All in all, the 2013-2014 wet season has been a bit of a disappointment.  There are predictions for more rain over this coming weekend, so we'll wait and see what eventuates.

March is the first month of Autumn here, but you will not see leaves changing colour on loads of leaves falling off the tree.  Most of the trees around here are evergreen, or semi-deciduous, but those that do drop leaves will do it primarily during our dry season.

One tree that does show some change of colour at this time of the year though, is my Koelreuteria or Chinese Rain Tree.

The Koelreuteria formosana has been blooming for a couple of weeks now.  Clusters of small yellow flowers grow from the ends of the branches first,

and these form a 3-sided papery seed pod which starts out a pretty creamy-pink colour

which then turns to rose-pink, and gradually to brown as it dies off.

This tree is on the environmental weeds alerts list, but my neighbours and I have been keeping a look out for any little seedlings popping up ever since my tree started blooming just three years ago.  This poor specimen is planted in a spot with the poorest soil and in one of the driest spots on the property.  It's grown around about 3 metres since we moved in here, 13 years ago, which I think must be a record for the slowest growth ever for this particular tree. 

One tree that is usually covered in blooms by this time of the year is the Lagerstroemia speciosa, or Queen's Myrtle.  I have three growing on the property but they're all a little behind the blooming schedule this year.  Two of them have a couple of blooms appearing, but that's it so far.

As I wander around my place there are a few flowers to be seen.

Hymenocallis

Water Lily

Clerodendrum ugandense

Adenium obesum

our native Cordyline cannifolia or Palm Lily

Plumeria pudica

Crossandra infundibuliformis

Coleus and unknown Salvia

Thunbergia erecta 'Tru Blu'

Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum'

Ixora

Streptocarpus caulescens or Nodding Violet

my unknown Dendrobium ... I think it's a Dendrobium bigibbum (such an unfortunate name!)

Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender'

Coleus and Impatiens walleriana

Justicia carnea and Impatiens walleriana

Hibiscus schizopetalus

and the Jasminum officinale is still filling the air with its fabulous sweet perfume.

Out in the bushland, the Acacia has begun its blooming cycle.

I'm not sure which Acacia it is, but I do so love those golden puffs scattered all along the branches.


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

Flower Flaunt on this last Autumn Friday.

We've been seeing some magnificent sunrises over the last week from our verandah.  These last few days of Autumn have been simply wonderful, with very pleasant daytime temps. and some cooler nights.  

We've also had a few showers of rain during the week, with most of the light rain falling overnight.  It seems that our long dry season is not quite ready to begin yet, and Mother Nature has decided to bless our gardens with some lovely liquid sunshine.  We're not used to getting rain at the end of May, and certainly not in the last official week of Autumn.

Fri Chance of Rain Low: 19° High: 27°

Sat Chance of Rain Low: 18° High: 27°

Sun Partly Cloudy Low: 19° High: 27°

Mon Partly Cloudy Low: 16° High: 26°

Tomorrow is officially the first day of our Winter, and the forecast is for a very pleasant start to our chilly season!  Just look at our fabulous tropical end-of-Autumn / beginning-of-Winter temps.  I simply love this time of year!

The first snow-white bracts and tiny flowers have appeared on my Euphorbia leucocephala or Snowflake Bush.  It's one of the few winter blooming shrubs in my garden. 

My two potted Sclumbergeras or Zygocactus our in my courtyard garden are starting to show some buds.  This plant is known as the Christmas Cactus in the northern hemisphere, but of course this winter-bloomer doesn't show its flowers during our Christmas.  Christmas for us is during our Summer, hence we refer to this plant as Zygocactus, and not Christmas Cactus.

There's actually already one bloom on the Zygocactus baby that's growing out in my shadehouse garden.  A piece of one of the courtyard Sclumbergeras broke off last year, and I stuck the little piece in a pot out in my shadehouse.  Now it's trying to upstage its parent by blooming first!

Elsewhere in my shadehouse garden ...

the Aeschynanthus lobbianus is hanging onto its last blooms of this blooming cycle,

there are always Impatiens walleriana blooms to be found somewhere,

and the Dorstenia bahiensis or Mattress Button Plant is still blooming.

Back in the courtyard garden there's a bit of colour on show from the annuals that have begun blooming.

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

Nix for Floral Friday Fotos

 

and Tina's Weekend Flowers

Another Flower Flaunt Friday ... Getting closer to Winter Here!

Today is a beautiful cool late Autumn day.  Overnight the temp dropped down to around 15 deg C (59 F), and right now at 9.00 am it's a gorgeous 19 deg C  (66 F).  For us, that's a rather cool morning!  The air is crisp, cool and fresh.  Our marvellous wintertime is not far off now.

Out in the garden things have slowed down considerably in terms of blooms.  There are no huge blooming displays on any of the trees or shrubs, but as is typical of a dry tropics garden, there are still a few flowers to be found here and there as you wander around.

Out in my shadehouse garden, on the western side of my house, there's been a new arrival.

Now I think this plant is Kalanchoe gastonis bonnieri or Donkey's Ears Plant.  It was given to me by a very kind gardener from down south (thanks Titania!), and I've spotted the first flower spike.  I can't wait for the blooms to open.

Other blooms to be found out in the shadehouse include ...

my wonderful all-year-round-bloomer, my purple Anthurium,

along with another of my year-round-bloomers, Impatiens walleriana;

and Coleus.

Out in the courtyard garden,


there are Violas blooming.

There's one lonely bloom on the white Justicia carnea,

and there's still flower spikes on the Angelonias.

The Celosia are blooming,

and a few little Marigolds have started to bloom as well.

The native Sterculia quadrifida or Peanut tree is covered in its rather inconspicuous creamy flowers.

Under the pergola, the Salvia involucrata is blooming,

whilst on the outer corners of the pergola the Hibiscus schizopetalus is always flowering.

Elsewhere,

the Crotons beside the driveway are still throwing out flower spikes,

and the blooming cycle of the Triangular Palm near the carshed, is coming to an end.  These flowers attract a lot of bees and wasps.  You can always hearing a lot of buzzing whenever you stroll near this magnificent looking Palm.

The native Acacias are still blooming, both on our property

 

and out in the surrounding bushland.

In the tiered garden beds at the front of the house,

the Salvia madrensis is coming to the end of its blooming cycle.

The Dianthera nodosa or Pink Lady's Fingers is blooming,

and the Cordyline is just beginning to flower.

In the front-of-house garden bed you can spot

Mussaenda philippica 'Bangkok Rose' bracts and littel flowers,

and the dwarf Azalea is showing just a couple of blooms as it begins in winter blooming time.

There are also just a few flowerheads on the Pentas growing in the side garden bed.

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

Nix for Floral Friday Fotos

and I'm joining Fishtail Cottage's Garden Party