Not only is it now winter time, but of course we're now well into our dry season for the year. So far this month we've had 12 mms (1/2 an inch) , of rain which fell over the very first weekend (which I note happened exactly as it did last year when I wrote my June 2011 GBBD post).
Dry season this year really began back in April, when the rainfall total fell down dramatically from March's total of 556 mms (22 ins), which fell over 20 days; to a total of 16 mms ( less than 1 inch), which fell over 2 days. May's total was slightly higher than April's, with 66 mms (2 1/2 ins) of rain falling over 6 days. But with only 12 mms falling so far this month and no predictions for more over the rest of the month, I think the dry season is now well underway.
Things are still fairly green around the place right now at the beginning of the dry, but in another month or two the effects of our dry season will be very evident with extensive browning off of the grass and the bushland as a lot of the trees drops leaves and the grasses die back.
There's only a few blooms to be seen in the various far-flung corners of the property. Most of the flowering plants right now are close to the house, such as in the front garden beds, around the courtyard and out in the shadehouse. Comparing blooms with last year's June GBBD post, the only real difference this year is less annuals, as I haven't potted up quite as many this year.
Well, let's start searching for the blooms on this mid-June early Winter's day. I'll begin with the courtyard garden ...
I have a real soft spot for these Salvias. These are Salvia 'Dusky Hues' and they just keep on performing beautifully. They're putting on a pretty display once again.
There's only one of my Pelargoniums in bloom at the moment, Pelargonium 'Vogue Scarlet'. The others have had a hard time coming back from the trials and tribulations of the wet season earlier in the year, but I'm slowly getting better at cosseting them through that hard start to the year. I'm sure there will be many more Pellie blooms evident as we get closer to springtime.
So, while I am missing my favourite Pellie blooms, there's still plenty of other flowers to enjoy. Next to the Pelargonium ... starting top right ... there's my dwarf Azalea, Zygocactus or Schlumbergera, Salvia, Pentas, another Zygocactus and, in the middle, my double white Impatiens walleriana.
There's also some lovely Petunias and Pansies out in the courtyard at the moment. This is the best time of year for them here in my north-eastern corner of Oz.
My favourite Petunias out in the courtyard right now are definitely the big frilly doubles. They are terrific blooms.
Another brilliant annual that's starting to put on a good show out there is this unusual Antirrhinum.
The courtyard is not quite as full of colour as it will be as in the coming winter months, but it's looking quite lovely as it is right now.
The hanging pots and baskets of Dragon Wing Begonias and Impatiens walleriana are providing lots of colour in amongst all that green foliage at the moment. I really love all the reds and pinks in amongst that varying shades of green.
Elsewhere ...
There's loads of blooms on one of the two very, very tall Cadaghi Gums growing down beside the hill driveway next to the house. Because the flowers tend to be located at the top of the tree, it's difficult to get close-up shots.
Next to the newly re-constructed pergola down beside the hill driveway, the Euphorbia leucocephala or Snowflake Bush, and the Hibiscus schizopetalus are blooming.
There are just a few blooms out in the driveway garden beds and the front tiered garden beds. Starting at top left and going clockwise, there's Galphimia glauca, Russelia, Gerberas, Malvaviscus arboreus, Calliandras, the very last Plumeria blooms and the unusual flower heads of the Justicia brandegeeana and Pachystachys lutea.
Finally, I'm seeing flowers on the variegated Ixora out in the front tiered garden beds. They've been a long time coming.
I'm also seeing more blooms appearing on my Callistemon 'Pink Champagne'. This young shrub seems to throw out new blooms every few weeks, which is not at all what I was expecting. However, ever since it showed off its very first beautiful pink bottlebrush flower with the gold tips, it's just kept on blooming sporadically throughout the entire year. I just can't wait until it matures fully and is covered in these stunning flowers.
I'm joining Carol for her Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day meme
I'm also joining these memes, using this blog and not my usual Bush Bernie's Garden blog.
It sounds like winter is the big time to enjoy all the lovely blooms in the garden and you have so many. Some I recognize as having seen during our wonderful trip last January. A feast for the eyes and the camera. HAppy Bloom day.
ReplyDeleteG'day Lancashire Rose, yes you're right in saying that here in my garden it's the wintertime and early springtime when I have the annuals blooming and adding such a lot of colour to the garden. Thanks so much for dropping by to see the early flowering season blooms.
DeleteNo matter what time of year it is there for you, to me everything looks fantastic. You have such a green thumb.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your mild winter.
FlowerLady
Thank you so much kind lady. We are lucky that we get to see something in bloom every day of the year here, but in saying that, I do so love this time of year when the annuals are showing off!
Deletealoha,
ReplyDeletebeautiful tour again, i love those fancy petunias - haven't seen those in my area...for a dry winter, your garden looks quite lush.
thanks for the wonderful garden tour :)
Thanks for visiting Noel. Those double Petunias have been in nursery stock here for a few years now. I do so hope they turn up over there as they really are just wonderful flowers. Yes everything is still quite lush at the moment, as the start to our dry season hasn't been too bad so far.
DeleteSo many gorgeous blooms in your winter garden. We'd love a winter like this.
ReplyDeleteIt's also fun to see how many of these we can grow here too.
Lovely tour, Happy GBBD!
Thank you kind lady. Glad you enjoyed the shots.
DeleteBernie,
ReplyDeleteYour garden is lovely. In your winter it seems you have as many blooms as my summer. It is hard for me to think of winter as being the dry season for you, as that is also the reverse of what I know. Hope you continue to have a mild winter.
Yael
Yael, wintertime is definitely the best time for annuals here in my corner of the world. They don't do well during out wet season. It's just far too hot, too humid and too wet at that time of year. Right now, though, is just perfect for them. Our winters are always very mild here. The coldest temp, which is always overnight of course, is usually down around 10 deg C!!
DeleteI am so impressed with all you have blooming in winter - and the dry season. I love all the colors. That striped frilly petunia is so unusual!
ReplyDeleteThanks Holley. There is a lot of lovely colour starting to fill the courtyard and shadehouse right now. I just love it! I've been growing frilly Petunias for a few years now and they are definitely my favourites.
DeleteG'day Bernie! Your winter blooms are lovely. Fantastic photos, and beautiful collages! Happy Bloom Day.
ReplyDeleteAppreciate your comment, thanks Garden Girl. Your flowers were just wonderful too on this GBB day.
DeleteBernie, it's such a treat to come and visit your garden! This time you have many more plants that I actually know the name of :-) Salvias, Pelargoniums, Azaleas, Petunias, Pansies, Impatiens, Euphorbias, Gerberas...they are all plants I have in my London garden and they look just as beautiful in your garden on the other side of the world. Loved your Callistemon 'Pink Champagne', absolutely gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThanks Helene. I always find it amazing how gardens can be so similar in some ways despite huge differences in things like climate and weather conditions.
DeleteThe winter I have in mind is barren and white but yours in Australia is so alive with colours and blooms. I'd like some winter in my area too ^_^
ReplyDeleteIt's the best winter of all I think! The only white stuff we see around here in the winter are the fluffy white clouds in the clear blue skies.
DeleteBernie the blooms are terrific as usual but what really catches my eye is that foliage plant in your courtyard collage - is that a geranium or a coleus - it looks so pretty with the frilly edges in pink.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite is that very unusual looking hanging hibiscus flower - it's so photogenic and I would love to spend time photographing that! :)
Rosie that fabulous foliage plant in the courtyard collage is a Coleus. I'm afraid I don't know the variety name. A very kind gardener down south sent some slips to me and it's just done so brilliantly. I just adore it, and keep taking more and more bits to strike.
DeleteThe hanging Hibiscus is commonly called the Japanese Lantern Hibiscus here, which I think suits it perfectly. It is my absolute favourite Hibiscus, but not commonly seen in gardens any more.
thanks for inviting us to your wonderful garden! :)
ReplyDeleteI really have to switch gears mentally looking at all your photos and thinking it is winter for you. Your blooms are so tropical looking it is hard to imagine "winter". Gorgeous blooms and so much color!
ReplyDeleteG'day Karen. Yes I know it's hard for some to relate my photos with the word 'winter', but this is what our winter is like here. Winter in the tropics is really just a different version of Summer! The temperatures drop a bit and there's less humidity and almost no rain.
Deletetook me a while to get here. Nice post and thanks for the comment Bern! The callistemon must be in the mimosa group as the blooms look just like a catclaw sensitive briar.
ReplyDeleteG'day Greggo. I'm not sure that the Callistemon and the Mimosa group are related. I know the Callistemon belongs to the Myrtaceae family, but I don't know what family the Catclaw Sensitive Briar belongs to.
DeleteWow! Your garden looks absolutely amazing at this time of year! I particularly like all the colour in your container garden! Lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Christine. I know the courtyard would look very boring and bare without the containers. They do add such a lot of life and colour out there.
DeleteSo many beautiful flowers! Looking at your photos I wouldn't think winter either.
ReplyDeleteNo Gunilla, our winter doesn't look like the winters experienced by most of the planet!
DeleteYou have provided a smorgasbord of blooms! What a generous gift!
ReplyDeleteYou're most welcome, Linda. So glad you dropped by.
DeleteWonderful garden and gorgeous flowers!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you took the time to leave such a gracious comment, thank you!
DeleteSuperb! It looks more like a visit to a botanical garden than a backyard! Oh my, what a show the flowers are putting on. I love that one coleus you have in the picture. Wow!
ReplyDeleteHey, I had you as a gardener in Brisbane, but I noticed your weather box showing Townsville...much farther up the coast in the tropical part of Queensland. Is that your area?
And...I have Africanaussie as somewhere in that part as well. Which of you are more tropical?
Sorry to be so inquisitive, but I'm writing up all the locations of my garden blog friends and trying to be as accurate as possible. I have Missy's Garden in the hilly area outside of Brisbane and Onslow & Miss B in Brisbane proper. Sound good?
David/:0) (in the Heights area of Houston,TX)
Thanks David. Yes the courtyard is starting to fill with colour now. Hopefully soon the space will be absolutely bright with annuals and perennials in full bloom.
DeleteYes you're right, I'm not a Brisbanite. I'm up in Townsville which is a lot further up the coast of Queensland to the north.
Africanaussie is even further north. She's located up in the wet tropic zone up around Cairns, which really makes her area more tropical.
Yes I would agree with your guesses on the location of both Missy and Onslow & Miss B. Missy is just outside Brisbane, while O & Miss B are located within the city of Brisbane.
As always, your courtyard garden is beautiful. I love all the texture showing up now.
ReplyDeleteIt is starting to look a lot better out there now, thanks Mary.
DeleteHmmm, i wish we have a little bit colder temps like yours. I think yours is much like Florida's tropics because when I look at your blooms, they are almost the same in qualities. We have rains now, and even if Metro Manila is already flooding in some areas, our province gardens still get only a share of few drizzles. My mother cannot even plant some vegies. Our Petunias at their heydays didn't even show some semblance of yours!
ReplyDeleteKalantikan, I sure enjoy the cooler temps at this time of year. Our night time temps have been dropping as well, so it's definitely time for a blanket on the bed. What a shame your not getting a bit more rain in the province garden.
DeleteHi bernie, I adore the photo of the green lawn and tree and green background. From what you say it won't stay so cool and green for long. The snapdragons are an unusual colour combo, very lovely, very fat and healthy looking. the other photo that stands out for me is the last one of the callistemon, with the gleaming blue background. stunning. cheers, catmint
ReplyDeleteHi Catmint. Usually the temps stay cool for around one more month before the mercury starts climbing back up towards the 30 deg C mark. Of course we don't get the really cold temps you do down there, so we can't complain about our winter.
DeleteHappy GBBD, Bernie. Wonderful garden photos as always.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna, glad you enjoyed your visit.
DeleteYou have so many lovely, lovely blooms. I have probably mentioned this before but I love plumeria and envy you that you are able to grow and enjoy it. I was introduced to it on vacation in Hawaii, and I love the bloom--its texture and fragrance. I have tried growing it in a pot and bringing it indoors but inevitably it does not survive. Enjoy your winter garden!
ReplyDeleteLovely to see you popping by Sage Butterfly. Plumerias are such a common tree here that they're rather overlooked and perhaps unappreciated. I have to admit I've never been a big fan of them, but I enjoy the blooms from the three trees that were already here when we moved in.
DeleteEverything is so beautiful! I love your courtyard and shade house. The Euphorbia leucocephala is great as is the Hibiscus schizopetalus in that picture. Neither would be hardy in my part of Texas...but maybe in pots?
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting Tucker and Rebecca. I don't think either the Euphorbia leucocephala or Hibiscus schizopetalus would do well in the ground there, but they might survive in pots if they were protected from the winter conditions. They both definitely love heat, strong sunshine and high humidity levels.
DeleteThanks for the tour, you have a wonderful garden.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome Bill and Lynn. So glad you enjoyed your time looking around the place.
DeleteYou sure have an array of lovely blooms. You must have the greenest of fingers. My plants can be lovely some of the time, but not all the time.
ReplyDeleteStiletto, my green fingers are a work in progress. I do manage to kill off a few things as well as encourage others to flourish. I'm still learning.
DeleteA lovely collection of captures, as always, Bernie. It's very wet and miserable in Melbourne at the moment...
ReplyDeleteThank you for participating in Floral Friday Fotos!
Sorry about your miserable winter weather down there Nix. You need to come north at this time of year. We've got lots of glorious weather to share around up here.
DeleteYour winter garden is amazing ~ looks more like mine in summer!! Oh to garden in a climate like that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the nice comment you left on my blog too.
I appreciate you stopping by Kathleen. Gardening in this climate is very enjoyable and rewarding during our Autumn, Winter and Spring. Summertime is another matter completely. Getting a garden through the summer conditions can be very challenging. I suppose it doesn't matter where you are in the world they are always challenges for any gardener though.
DeleteOh, Bernie your winter garden is fabulous! I especially love your courthouse garden. It must be a joy to spend time there. Your winter certainly looks different from our gray, wet, leafless one! Our weather right now is very hot, into the nineties, and dry. We have had .95 inch of rain so far this month, less than normal, and no more expected this next week. We are already hoping for a tropical depression to come our way and dup rain on us!
ReplyDelete