The Hills Are Alight .... The Year In Photographs ... August 21, 2013

This was the view that greeted me from our verandah this morning. 

It's dry season here, and we often see bushfires blazing in the ranges around this time of year. 

August is not only the last month of our winter, but it is usually the time when the bush fire season is in full swing.  We have been seeing lots of smoke around our rural suburb for around two weeks now, as the flames make their way slowly along the ranges in the distance.

Thankfully the flames are a long way off, and we're quite happy to just put up with the smoke.

Flower Flaunt Time ... In Our Last Winter Month

So, August is the last month of our extremely mild and glorious wintertime.  The weather has been absolutely fabulous with lots of comfy, coolish, clear-sky days and slightly cooler nights.  The days are starting the get longer thank goodness, so the nights are no longer drawing in around 5.30 in the afternoon.

Finally I have something new to share this week.  I've noticed some stunning white blooms on a pass-along plant that I think might be Eucharis grandiflora, otherwise known as the Eucharist Lily.  I'm sure someone out there will tell me if I'm on the right track with the I.D.

The flowers are absolutely gorgeous.  Of course many of you will know just how much I love white in the garden, so I'm over the moon with these wonderful flowers. I'll be adding this plant to one of the new garden beds as soon as they're finished.

There are more and more flowers appearing on the rhizomatous Begonias at the moment,

like Begonia 'Tiger Paw',

and this unknown.

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

Nix for Floral Friday Fotos

Today's Flowers

Floral Love

Cottage Garden Party

Weekend Flowers

Unexpected Visitors ... The Year In Photographs ... August 3, 2013

Our next door neighbour's goats wandered into our bush paddock this afternoon.   That's something that hasn't happened before.

The kid was quite adventurous, looking around for new places to explore.

The older nanny was keeping an eye on me,



and an eye on the little one.

Flower Flaunt As Our Last Month of Winter Begins.

As August begins, our tropical winter is nearing an end.  This is the last month of our winter, and the very mild winter conditions have continued throughout the last couple of weeks.  The skies have continued to be bright, sunny and blue, and our dry season rolls on.

At the moment the Begonia blooms are out and proudly on show.  Whilst the Dragonwing Begonias and Bedding Begonias bloom all year round for me, the Cane Begonias and Tiger Paw Begonia begin their blooming cycle at the end of Winter and continue on into Spring.

unknown Cane Begonia

Begonia 'Tiger Paw'

Dragonwing Begonias and Begonia semperflorens or Bedding Begonia


I think these flowers are rather unappreciated by most, but certainly not by me.  I really love the form of these beauties.


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

Tracie for Cottage Garden Party 

Mona for Floral Love

Nix for Floral Friday Fotos

and Today's Flowers