Sunday, September 29, 2013

Weekend Flowers





 
I have been enjoying my new camera so thought I would share this one with you.
























Normally I would link this with Weekend Flowers, but that doesn't appear to be happening this weekend, so instead I'll add afew more flower shots I took this week.


 This flowering crab apple makes a beautiful show at this time of the year. I love all the flowering apples, but this one is my favourite, I think


A pretty little lavender. They don't do particularly well here - soil too heavy, too wet and too cold. Pity because I love the perfume.

And this apple is just a stunner at this time of the year.

Liz Needle





Friday, September 27, 2013

Spring

Such a long time since I have posted and a lot of water under the bridge. We've all had colds - my DH close to pneumonia, my computer crashed, weather has been good and I have been busy in the garden tidying up after winter and everything seems to take so much of my time, so the blog has been neglected.
 
It is nearly a year since I started this blog and so much has happened in the garden in that time. Mark has chopped down all the willow trees  and the front garden is so much lighter. Most of the plants seem to be thriving with the extra sunlight. We are gradually replanting areas which have been affected by the willows and Mark is planning to move the front fence out and extend the front garden -  more space for extra trees. At this stage I haven't thought about how we will water everything. That's an issue I have been putting off, but I will have to address it soon. Meanwhile I am enjoying Spring in the garden.
 
Stars in the garden at the moment are the bluebells and the Ajuga - such glorious blues. I am hoping that the yellow iris will be flowering before the blues finish.
 


The humble soursob(oxalis) makes a pretty contrast.
 

 
One of our neighbours - an expatriate Englishman - says this view reminds him of England.
 
 Honesty makes a pretty show every year and I love that it self seeds and pops up everywhere.


This little daisy is an Australian native - Olearia - this particular one is a very tough shrub. In summer I pruned it back to a stump and it has defied my efforts and is a good metre plus high again.

 This is the first of the Viburnums to flower and one of my favourites - such a tough plant that seems to thrive anywhere.

 Another self seeder. This poppy began as a single seedling last Spring and is now popping up and adding its cheerfulness to my front garden. It looks stunning with the bluebells.
 

And another daisy. What useful little flowers they are in all their variety.
 
Probably the most spectacular plants at the moment are the camellias - just finishing - and the flowering apples, but they can wait until next time.
 
Liz Needle
 
PS.  I had planned to make these pictures larger, but for some reason, halfway through, Blogger decided that they were to remain this size!!
 
 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Weekend Flowers and A Foggy Garden

Weekend flowers this week is one of my favourites since I was very tiny. We used to be able to buy big posies of sweet smelling violets from roadside stalls in the city. Not now unfortunately - too labout intensive.


After weeks of rain, we have had a couple of beautiful Spring days - great to get back into the garden, though it is still too muddy underfoot to do a lot.

But, on Thursday morning we awoke to a heavy fog, so I grabbed the camera and got these shots as the fog started lifting.


The daffodils are out, but have really suffered from the winds and rain.


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Down by the dam.

The old house - now almost a ruin.

Liz Needle -  Linking with Weekend Flowers