Sunday, November 17, 2013

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day ... November 2013 ... End of Spring


As November comes to a close, Springtime here in the tropics is nearing its end.  The spring-blooming native Planchonia careya, or Cocky Apple, is still showing off its strange flowers though,


and attracting loads of insects.


The Cocky Apples on my property were late bloomers this year, compared to the trees in the surrounding bushland, and there are still lots of buds waiting to burst into bloom.


Not only is the end of Spring is nigh, but it looks as if the dry season is also ending.  We've had some rain during the month of November, which has been lovely.   Around our city so far, the rainfall total for this month has reached 117 mm or 4.6 inches.  I think the last time we had a November total around that, was back in 2010.   Out here in the foothills, I don't believe we've had quite that much rain, but we certainly have had some very decent falls.


Finally, there's a faint tinge of green to be seen around the yard,


and the mainstay shrubs are looking a little plumper as the leaf growth begins again.


The Agile Wallabies are now finding some grass to munch on rather than digging huge holes everywhere in search of grass roots.


Plants like the Galphimia glauca are bursting at the seams with golden yellow flowers.


Crotons are blooming and the Mussaendas are beginning another blooming cycle.


Mussaenda 'Calcutta Sunset' is throwing out its first coloured bracts,


as is Mussaenda philippica 'Aurore'


and Mussaenda philippica 'Bangkok Rose'.

A sure sign that Spring is coming to an end, and Summer is about to begin, is the sight of the Delonix regias breaking into bloom.


All around the city, around the foothills here and on my property, there are splashes of bright red everywhere.


I have three large Delonix regias, or Poincianas, here and all are now covered in blooms.


Another sign that Summer is almost here, is the sight of the fabulous Plumeria flowers.


With the arrival of rain, the Murraya paniculatas, that grow underneath the Plumerias, have burst into bloom and have filled the garden with their delightful, heady scent.


I just adore the perfume of these flowers.

In the top tiers of the tiered garden beds,


the Adenium obesum, Duranta, Nerium oleander are blooming, while the first buds of the Hemerocallis corner have appeared and a couple of Caladiums have been on show.


In the bottom of the tiered beds, outside my shadehouse garden, there are Salvias in bloom.


Salvia madrensis always looks terrific,


but I do have a soft spot for Salvia leucantha 'White Velour'.


As you get closer to the shadehouse garden,


you will also spot Pentas, Ruellia and Dianthera.


 Inside the shadehouse,


there's Spathiphyllum, Begonia and Impatiens flowers, as well as Caladiums rising from dormancy.


Out in the courtyard garden, you will find Salvia farinacea 'Strata', Petunias, Tabernaemontan corymbosa 'Sweet Love', Pelargoniums, Impatiens walleriana and Duranta in bloom.

Down the driveway garden,


Russelias, Thunbergia erecta 'Tru Blu', Turnera subulata and my Polygala are all showing off their beautiful flowers.


That's my contribution to GBBD for this month of November ... a little late, I know, but at least I've managed a post for this month after a bit of a break.

For many more fabulous posts that show what's blooming around the world this month, make sure you visit Carol's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day meme.

30 comments:

  1. I can hardly express how beautiful your blooms are, and how extensive your collection is.

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    1. I am a bit of a plant nut, I have to admit, Maria. Whilst my garden is certainly not an advertisement for garden design or landscape principles, I do so enjoy growing a huge variety of plants.

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  2. WOW!!! As always, I love seeing your beautiful blooms and your shade garden is something I really love. It is such a joy to see and walk through virtually. I'm sure it's more wonderful in person.

    Have a lovely weekend ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Lorraine, the shade garden is simply wonderful to stroll through early in the morning or in the early evening after a long day at work. It's also terrific that I get to see parts of it every single day through the windows on that side of the house. I can enjoy the view out there all the time.

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  3. What a wonderful selection of flowers you have shown us, they are really fantastic! Your garden must be so colourful at the moment and I'm sure it must be full of delicious perfume! Thank you for showing us round!

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    1. There is always some colour to be found somewhere here, Pauline. That's the beauty of having a garden in the tropics. Even when the surrounding landscape is dry and brown, I can find a beautiful flower somewhere to lift my spirits.

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  4. I love that shadehouse! Does it get too hot in there in the summer for your plants or can you keep some in there year round? My little greenhouse sits empty all summer for that reason. The tree flowers are just gorgeous. I love the opening shot. Happy GBBD. David/:0)

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    1. David, yes it does get hot out there in the summertime, but thankfully the shadecloth that covers the structure does keep out the harshest of the summer sun's rays. It's not quite as hot in the shadehouse when compared to standing in the fierce direct summer sunshine. It is a joy to wander around in there when the hot summer sun is sinking, as it is always ever so slightly cooler than outside.

      The plants stay in there all year round, even through the summertime. Thankfully they don't mind the heat, but just need protection from the direct sun.

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  5. what a lovely collection of flowers you have !!!!

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    1. There are some lovely blooms around the place at the moment, Gwennie. Of course the Poinciana flowers steal the show right now.

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  6. The explosion of blooms is amazing and I am given signs of your spring as I dream of mine again.

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    1. Don't worry, Donna. As you steel yourself for the coming winter, I'm doing the same thing for our coming summer. It's a time of the year that I always wish was over quickly.

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    2. Bernie: I do enjoy your blogs. Great photos, wish I could some day get to Australia and enjoy the climate.

      Have a wonderful day,
      john

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    3. Thank you John. It's great to hear you enjoy dropping by for a visit. We are rather pleased here for most of the year in north Queensland. Summertime can be harsh, but I would recommend Autumn through to early Spring for any traveller who wanted to visit here.

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  7. I love it that although I've been writing about plants and gardens for years, I can read your blog post and find yet another beautiful plant I've never heard of before. Just looked up Turnera! Thanks so much for your exquisite photographs and superb plant knowledge

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    1. That's what I so love about the garden blogging world. Catherine. There's a lot that we can learn from others, and that's certainly the case for me. I absolutely relish the opportunity to visit other gardens virtually and learn all about gardening from a different place.

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  8. Bernie, Your garden is looking wonderful, especially for the end of the dry. It will get even better now the rain is starting to come.

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    1. We had a terrific downpour last night, Missy. It was wonderful. It sure looks like our wet season has begun now. It's amazing how quickly everything turns green when the rains do arrive. The garden seems to sparkle a little as well.

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  9. Oh Bernie you still have a lot there, especially inside the greenhouse. What happens when some seasons shorten? Which season now will be longer in your case? I love that croton flower, i haven't seen that plenty and long bloom here, maybe because we are much dry and hotter! We will see those Delonix regia at the height of our dry season in April, that is normal, but we don't know now as the climate changes.

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    1. Well, in reality, we only really have 2 season, as you know. We have the short wet season, which can last anything from 2 months to 5. It's the dry season though that is definitely the longest. It can last from 7 to 9 months of the year. Thankfully the long dry coincides with our lovely Autumn-Winter and early Spring times, so it's a lot cooler. The days are a little shorter, but only by a couple of hours.

      As for those Croton blooms, it may be our long dry season that brings on such long flower sprays. I do know that the shrubs were planted long before we moved in here, so they must be at least 20 years old, if not older. Maybe age has something to do with the length of the flower sprays as well.

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  10. Wow and double wow......your garden is looking great. The new area has filled in nicely....and looks as if it's been there forever.
    Loved the flower collages a whole lot but I especially loved the photo of the wallaby in your garden.
    Happy Summer!

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    1. Thanks Virginia. The wallabies are munching of the grass quite happily now that it has sprung back up again with the showers of rain we've been having. The garden is certainly looking much happier with the arrival of some rain as well.

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  11. Hi bernie. What a fabulous variety of flowers you have. Hardly any are familiar to me, here in the UK, not even as houseplants. They look so exotic. They brightened a gloomy November afternoon for me !

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    1. It's great to hear my photos have cheered you up, hoehoe. Our tropical plants certainly do brighten up any garden, or indeed any house as indoor plants. Our days here are getting longer now that summer is just about upon us. The weather and conditions are certainly summery already.

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  12. Fantastic variety of exotic flowers ! Very envious looking at your photos on a gloomy afternoon here in the uk.

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  13. Bernie, What a great show of plants, all the colours of the rainbow....plus!

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    1. That's the look of the end of Spring here Bill. There's some great colour around at the moment, and that's a good thing because very soon it will be way too hot and humid to spend much time out in the garden at all. At least then, I can still enjoy the colour without doing much work.

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  14. Your garden is fantastic! I'm happy for you and the animals that you have gotten some rain and that everything is turning green.

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    1. Gunilla, we're all really glad that the wet has seemingly arrived a little early this year. Hopefully, there will be more rain in the coming weeks, and we don't have to wait until the usual wet season rains that arrive after Christmas. Some rain before and during Christmastime would be lovely.

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  15. I could live in that shadehouse, Bernie. It's perfectly gorgeous!
    And the garden... well it's a feast for my eyes. A welcome symphony of colour! We're tucked in with a blanket of snow up here, and the scenery is currently awash in dull monochromatic tones! It's pure pleasure to visit your garden.
    Here's hoping more rain arrives for you and the animals.
    Enjoy!
    K

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