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Saturday, September 15, 2012

It's An Early Spring Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day ... August 2012

Spring has sprung Downunder.  September is our first month of Spring.  Here in my north-eastern corner there are not many discernible seasonal changes, and certainly not much of a noticeable change between our Winter and early Spring.  One small difference though, is the flowering of the many native Eucalyptus platyphyllas or Poplar Gums on the property and in the surrounding bushland.


These fluffy white flowers are everywhere.  They're dripping with nectar, and there's a sweet honey-like perfume in the air early in the mornings and late in the evening.


There have been flocks of Scaly-breasted Lorikeets feasting on the creamy white flowers.


The Corymbia torellianas or Cadaghi Gums that grow beside our hill driveway have both been in bloom for many weeks now, and the show continues on into early Spring. 


Both the Scaly-breasted and the Rainbow Lorikeets have been enjoying the nectar of those blooms as well.


One other noticeable change is the appearance of coloured bracts on the two Bougainvilleas that grow on my property.  It's time for them to begin their long blooming cycle once more.


They both take a break over late Autum-Winter, but I'll see the bracts and the tiny white flowers well into January now.


The Dietes have also begun another blooming cycle.  I've had the Dietes bicolor for some time now, but this is the first ever bloom on my Dietes grandiflora.  I'm just over the moon about that!


The only spot at my place that has lots and lots of colourful blooms right now is my courtyard garden.  The container plants are all in bloom, but there's nothing much new out there though.


Everything that was blooming this time last month, is still blooming now.

Out in the courtyard garden ...


Salvia farinacea 'Strata'.


Osteospermum


dwarf Azalea


Cane Begonia


Torenia 'Violet Magic'


Impatiens hawkeri or New Guinea Impatiens


Spathoglottis plicata or Ground Orchid


Neomarica longifolia or Yellow Walking Iris


Streptocarpus caulescens or Nodding Violet


Antihirrinum - unknown variety


Angelonia angustifolia 'Serena series' - pink and white


more Angelonia angustifolia 'Serena series' - purple


Bromeliad


Petunia 'Hot Lips'


Petunia 'Stars Mixed'


Saliva farinacea 'Victoria White'

At the back of the courtyard,


the Sansevieria trifasciata is blooming.

Elsewhere around the place ...


The dwarf Azalea shrub in the front garden bed is coming to the end of its blooming cycle now.


There are still flowers on my white Bauhinia variegata down the long gravel driveway, and they're attracting lots of insects, including bees and green ants.  The leaves are starting to turn yellow though, and they will begin dropping very soon, which means the blooming cycle will be coming to an end.


 There are lovely double blooms on this red-flowering Hibiscus in the driveway garden bed as well.

 Out in the front tiered garden beds,


the Iresine herbstii 'Blazin Rose' is still blooming,


as is the dwarf Euphorbia pulcherrima.


There are blooms appearing on one of the Adenium obesum ... seen here under a shower of droplets from the hose.   Hosing is a daily job at the moment in a couple of spots around my place, as our dry season rolls on into its sixth month now. 

The only other job I've had to do lately is finishing off cleaning out and repairing the pond area.


That's finally done, and I am ready to look for some water plants now.  The pond has always been just a spot for fish to swim around in, so adding water plants is something new for me.  I have a beautiful black-leaved Colocasia ready to plunge in, but that's it so far.  More to come ...



I'm joining Carol for her monthly meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day


40 comments:

  1. Dear Bernie ~ Thank you for this lovely visit to your wonderful gardens. I love all of your plants and the different spaces you have created.

    Happy Spring to you ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Thanks FlowerLady, it's been quite a lovely start to Spring here in the tropical north. The plants in the courtyard are certainly enjoying this time of year.

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  2. Your courtyard is such a haven of loveliness you’re surrounded by so many colours. While here much is fading as autumn is creeping in. Can I pick a favourite well …. Its difficult as you have shown both of the plants that bring joy to my soul that sweet Torenia 'Violet Magic' and the white Bauhinia hard to choose a favourite. The pond is looking like a swimming pool far to swish for fish!
    Have a good weekend. Ours is going to be a quiet one,some grass needs cutting and some seeds need potting up...Ahh heaven!

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    1. Sueb, I just have to have some colour out in the courtyard aside from the plentiful greens. The Bauhinia blooms won't last much longer now, so I'm enjoying them as much as I can for now. The Torenia always does well. I'm really taken with this particular variety 'Violet Magic'.

      Our weekend will be busy with preparations for the next stage of our Healthy Habitat program. We're getting ready for a big burn-off. Fingers crossed the winds die down.

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  3. WOW!!! You sure will have lots of beautiful plants to water:) Love that blue salvia....and the Lori shot is cool. Your garden is so beautiful. Nice planning and choice of plants. Have a good weekend.

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    1. Rohrerbot, the watering is not too bad. The containers are filled with potting mix that has lovely water-saving crystals in it. I really enjoy the watering at the end of a working day anyway. That blue Salvia is gorgeous isn't it? I really want to build up a little collection of Salvias. They seem to do so well here.

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  4. Loved the stroll in your spring garden, so many plants I know - for a change! I adore Bougainvilleas, wish I could grow them here, but they won't survive the winter. Your courtyard garden looks like a great place to sit and get a bit of sun :-)

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    1. Helene, Bougainvillea can become a bit of a thug here so I don't grow many. The one reaching up through the Poinciana tree grows in a very nutrient poor, difficult spot on the property, so I know it won't become a problem. The other is a dwarf variety and is easily managed. As you know my courtyard garden is my little haven, and I spend a lot of time out there. It's looking quite lovely these days.

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  5. That pond is gorgeous! And I love those Poplar Gums with that fluffy white spray. So many things are happening in the garden in your spring. It is interesting to observe your bursting forth spring season amid my retreating fall season. My favorite 'reveal' you have here besides the Poplar Gums is the containers. You have them arranged so perfectly to complement each other and display a true container garden.

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    1. Sage Butterfly, there are so many of the Poplar Gums in bloom at the moment, and we're seeing flocks of Lorikeets enjoying the them. Thanks for your lovely compliment about the container garden. It's a work-in-progress. I'm slowly learning which plants suit which spots throughout the year.

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  6. Your lorikeet shots are still pretty good Bernie even if they are far away, and your garden is looking lovely and lush. Have a good weekend.

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    1. Karen, thanks. Those Lorikeets are just so far away, high up in the upper branches of the enormous Gums. It's difficult to get really good shots. I take so many photos, but only keep a few.

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  7. Wow! your spring garden looks more like high summer to me. What a lot of blooms you have including some that are very exotic. Enjoy your spring as we in the north slip into a welcome cooler autumn. Christina

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    1. Thanks Christina. Summertime here is harsh, and the lovely show out in the courtyard will wane quite a bit as the summer rolls on. Right now, it's probably at its best.

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  8. Beautiful!
    Happy GBBD!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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  9. Beautiful photos, specially love the Scaly-breasted Lorikeet! Isn't Spring a magical time? Happy GBBD :)

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    1. Christine, early Spring here is lovely. I just love late Autumn through to early Spring here in my corner of the tropics. It's the best time for my garden.

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  10. Wonderful, it's all so gorgeous. (I wish my container garden work-in-progress looked even a little like yours.)

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    1. Thanks Mac. My container garden has been a work-in-progress for around three years now. I'm still learning. I have had some spectacular failures and moderate successes, and have learned some valuable lessons along the way. I'm now much more aware of the changing light conditions throughout the year, especially from the summer to the winter, and the changing wind conditions as well. I've enjoyed every minute of the journey thus far though.

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  11. your white Bauhinia looks like my white Hedychium or white ginger. I also love much your pond, but we can't do that here for fear of mosquitoes!

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    1. Kalantikan, I agree. There are definite similarities between my white Bauhinia and the white Hedychium. The white Bauhinia has no perfume though. As for the pond, we don't have much problem with mosquitoes when there are fish in the water, but we do have a problem with cane toads jumping into the water. They are such disgusting creatures and are definitely not a sight we want to see in our pond.

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  12. Wow Bernie, your place is absolutely AMAZING!!!!

    i absolutely loved going through all the photos

    I saw a Scaly Breasted Lorikeet at my house for the first time ever the other day, it was in the top of one of my eucalypts, i'm pretty sure they've been here for a while but they just aren't as blare-ingly obvious as the Rainbow Lorries

    i can't believe i don't have a Bouganvilliea in my garden, we had a massive one at our last house, but surprisingly haven't gotten one for here..... i'll definitely have to remedy that :)

    don't you just love irises, they used to be just normal boring plants when i was a kid but now that i know something about plants i'm starting to like them more and more, and starting to get a few different kinds too

    the container garden is amazing, i've got a spot with pot plants but i don't have nearly the variety that you've got

    oh, and thanks for posting a photo of your Torenia, my sister gave me one last year but i've never known the name for it, so i'm very grateful for clearing up the mystery :)

    and that variety of Snapdragon is exquisite, i'm trying to build up my knowledge of the latin names of "normal" plants, i know all the ones of the Orchids, but not so much the "normal" plants LOL

    The Spathoglottis plicta is really nice, i have an unknown spath. in the shadehouse so i can't wait to see what it looks like, i was given it by a friend of mine recently, so haven't flowered it yet

    and you have an amazing variety of plant, they are truly amazing. i've got to ask, how do you remember all the names?

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    1. Thanks so much Michael for dropping by. So glad you've enjoyed your visit. You're right about those Scaly-breasted Lorikeets. They're sometimes very hard to spot with those green feathers! I'm a newcomer when it comes to Irises, apart from the Yellow Walking Iris which is planted everywhere here. I only planted my two Dietes in the last year or so. I shall have to plant more. As for remembering the botanic names ... just lots of research and when I find out the proper botanic name I label all my photos, so I will remember.

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    2. We have the Dietes and Sanasevieria in common. My rose garden is looking lush and colourful, but not your exuberant tropical enthusiasm. Your courtyard garden is gold medal award quality!

      Just because I love the texture, my favourite pond plant is dwarf papyrus. But in a pot, corralled each year, or it takes over.

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  13. You have so much blooming already. And your description of the poplar gums dripping with nectar and the sweet smell makes me realize that each season has its own scent, doesn't it? I love your pond area. I could just imagine feeding some beautiful fish in that clear water. If you're looking for some water plants, I hope you'll try a lotus and some waterlilies.

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    1. HolleyGarden, I think there must be certain smells and perfumes associated with seasons no matter where you live. We don't have wonderful perfumes form Lilacs or Orange blossoms, but the Eucalypt blossoms definitely have a sweet scent. I am definitely going to try to get a waterlily or two first. Lotus plants are not all that easy to find in the nurseries here though.

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  14. As always, I enjoyed the tour! The Scaly Breasted Lorikeet is amazing! It seems that no matter your season, always something gorgeous is blooming. I wish bougainvillea were hardy for me. I'm just a bit too far north for it. I especially like the variegated one you show.

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    1. Deb, there is always something blooming here. We're very fortunate in that respect. I'm not a huge fan of Bougainvillea as they can be real thugs in our climate, but the dwarf I don't mind at all.

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  15. Ah, spring...your photography reminds me of why I love to garden! Sometimes, particularly in late summer in South Carolina when our gardens look so tired, gardening seems like such a chore...until spring arrives, with its wonderful, hopeful blooms. Your gardens are just lovely and a wonderful inspiration! The photos of the lorikeets are beautiful. My husband spent time in Australia many years ago, and we're looking forward to a family vacation there sometime within the next few years. (I'm not sure who is more excited--the kids or me!) I especially love the photo of your ground orchid--stunning. Happy Bloom Day to you!

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    1. Julie, our early spring is quite lovely here, but it starts getting rather hot around mid- to late spring and the summery humidity and fierce sunshine begins as well. Then it's not much fun at all. Fingers crossed you get to visit Oz in the near future. I know I'm a bit biased, but it is a fabulous country.

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  16. I've just come from visiting Diana's spring garden in S. Africa to your Australian paradise -- what a wonderful world we live in! I love your dietes, so different from my spring iris. An amazing walk around your garden!

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  17. We visit lorokeets in a local aviary here in So. Calif., and they are as exuberant in voice as they are in feather! It will be a treat to follow your blog as you head into spring.

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  18. Oh, how lovely! Happy Spring, and Happy Bloom Day!

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  19. A beautiful garden.

    I have a $150 Bunnings Gift Voucher Giveaway on my blog A Green Earth and I welcome you and your readers to enter.

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  20. Hi Bernie, all the photos are great, but especially the fluffy gum flowers, and the lorikeets enjoying the nectar. I've got lots of birds feeding on my eucalypt flowers, very high up. Your post reminds me to get organized and try to take some long shots while they're still there.

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  21. Bernie - Do you ever have to worry about snakes hiding among the potted plants?

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  22. Those are just beautiful! I really like those beautiful blooms with vibrant colors. They are just lovely. Thanks!

    Noelle @ www.CheapSheds.com.au/

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  23. Bernie, your garden is looking lovely...I love your courtyard garden with all the beautiful colours shouting for attention.
    Seems as if spring will be very kind to you this year.
    I will be following along with you as you adventure into a new gardening year.

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  24. Beautiful photographs, beautiful flowers. I am greeting

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