A Bug's Playground

A New Orchid

2011-10-14T14:34:00.003+11:00

One of my new orchids is out. This one was given to me & I was told to hang it to a branch in a tree. The only "tree" as such in my yard is a frangipanni tree. Of course there a gum trees in the neighbours yard & bottlebrush trees on the nature strip, but I deemed these unsuitable. I was a bit worried about it being placed in the frangipanni tree as it not only faces west & gets the full force the afternoon sun, it currently has no leaves on it to shelter this little orchid. However, it has been there since July, has produced two new shoots and about a dozen buds, three of which have finally opened. So I guess it likes where it is for now. Time will tell as the weather heats up over summer, though hopefully by then it will have some shade from the leaves of the frangipanni that are just starting to come.

For the Senses

2011-10-06T12:09:00.002+11:00

Today I had reason to visit my local library. When I got out of the car I noticed the perfume, nothing bad of course, but strong enough to notice. I had a quick look around as to what was in flower but noticed nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't until I returned to my car that I saw the tree under which I had parked. Note, I had looked around but not up!

The tree under which I had parked was smothered with these yellow flowers and emitting a very strong perfume. I didn't stay long enough to examine it, just long enough to take a quick pic, & now I am wondering what it is. I have searched Google for pics of similar flowers but have found nothing. My guess it is in the frangipanni family somewhere, but that is just a guess. It is the shape of the leaves & the perfume that makes me think this way, as well as the fact that I know that frngipannis come in a few different varieties.

I have parked under this tree many times before & have never really noticed it except for it's shade. Next time I will have a closer look.

Colours of Spring 8

2011-09-24T09:28:00.000+10:00

Imagine this colour lining the highways of our nation in spring.

Colours of Spring 7

2011-09-23T09:23:00.000+10:00

Colours Of Spring 6

2011-09-21T09:23:00.000+10:00

Little balls of yellow fluff , just one of our many wattles

Colours of Spring 5

2011-09-20T09:16:00.001+10:00

Not sure what these are, some kind of succulent I think.

Colours of Spring 4

2011-09-19T10:00:00.000+10:00

A banksia just before it booms.

Colours of Spring 3

2011-09-18T10:00:00.000+10:00

Just one of our many banksias.

Colours of Spring 2

2011-09-17T10:00:00.000+10:00

So bright & vibrant, these look fabulous on mass.

Colours of Spring 1

2011-09-16T10:00:00.000+10:00

Gazinias come in all colours.

Colours of Spring 1

2011-09-15T14:18:00.003+10:00

On a recent trip away all I could notice was the colour spread over our Nation in the form of spring. Forgetting the fact that it gives me allergies in a bad way, sit back & enjoy the colour.

The Beginnings of Spring

2011-09-14T12:21:00.002+10:00

Taken nearly two months ago in the middle of winter, this pic shows the wattles blooming along the side of the Pacific Highway in the North Coast region of NSW. Sorry for the quality, it was taken through the car window. What a spectacular sight they made, and a forerunner of the spring the come.

My Winter Jonquils

2011-07-04T10:37:00.003+10:00

It is mid winter in Sydney, though with the weather today we could be fooled into thinking is spring. In my garden the jonquils are flowering, masses of them and the perfume is wonderful.

The Calm Before The Storm

2011-05-12T12:25:00.000+10:00

Two days ago I spotted this little fellow sunning himself on a leaf. He must have known something was up, getting all the warmth he could before the big freeze. The Southerlies have arrived from the Arctic, bringing snow to the ranges not too far from here. Winter has arrived early & with a vengeance. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...........................

Geranium

2011-05-04T09:27:00.001+10:00

My Mum's geranium is still surviving.

Blue Dragon Fly

2011-05-03T12:19:00.002+10:00

We often get these little blue dragon flies in the garden. They are so hard to take pics of. This is the best one I have got so far.

Galahs Pt 2

2011-05-02T14:38:00.003+10:00

There were actually two galahs that came visiting, obviously having breakfast on the bark. Once again the quality is poor due to zooming & cropping.

Galah

2011-04-28T13:53:00.003+10:00

We only get visits from the galahs occasionally so when we do I try to capture them with the camera. I could hear them squawking but it took me a while to find them hiding in the gum tree down the back. I apologise for the quality, I had to zoom & crop.

Buds A Plenty

2011-04-26T15:48:00.002+10:00

Back in March we had quite a bit of rain, consequences of which my climbing rose is just covered in buds just like this one. Maybe in about a week it will be covered in pink blooms. Here's hoping.

Native Violets

2011-04-21T10:49:00.002+10:00

After all the rain, look what is flowering a plenty.

Seed Pods

2011-04-19T10:16:00.001+10:00

Seed pods can be so interesting if we really look. All I can see here is the head if a stick insect, but in fact it is just a seed pod currently in my garden.

Opened!

2011-04-13T13:26:00.004+10:00

After rescuing my orchid from the snails & slugs last week, it has rewarded me with these beautiful blooms. There are five altogether, scattered along one spike. The spike is running horizontal, a sign perhaps that I should have given it some support. Though by the time I found it last week it may have been too late, & if I had of tried to bend it, it may well have snapped.

This is a closer view of one of the blooms, and looking closely we can see where the snails have had their dinner. I'll be more diligent next year.

A Surprise

2011-04-07T09:49:00.003+10:00

Yesterday I was out in the garden looking for parsley to add to my cooking & look what I found! This orchid was given to me two years ago by a little old lady ( she is in her 90's & still going strong!) . I have been watching & waiting patiently for that length of time to be rewarded with this spike containing 5 buds. The down side is the ***** snails found them before me & have chewed holes into three of them. About a month ago I saw a new shoot coming & watched with eager anticipation, only to believe it was just that, a new shoot. Now it has been rescued from the snails & I will wait with more eager anticipation for them to open. Hopefully they will look like this.

Company

2011-03-24T14:18:00.002+11:00

We have had over 4" of rain over the last few days so today while the sun was shining & the breeze cooling I thought I would remove some weeds & do a little pruning while the soil was still soft. Look who I found also out enjoying the sun on my climbing rose. Not sure if he is good or bad but he sure is bright.

Dividing Perannials

2011-02-09T11:59:00.002+11:00

Something that I must do for my shasta dasies.

A Bee

2010-11-11T10:53:00.004+11:00

I found this little fellow having a rest on the end of a crab cactus leaf. I am not sure what he is, presumably a bee of some sort, he's too pretty for a fly. I love the sparkle in his wings.

Making Hay

2010-11-09T13:33:00.000+11:00

In the three weeks that the weigela is in flower, the bees are busy making hay while the sun shines. Well, collecting pollen anyway. This little fellow is in very deep

Weigela Pt 4

2010-11-08T13:30:00.000+11:00

The older they get, the deeper pink the flowers get. The shrub looks very pretty for three weeks in spring when it is a mass of flowers, in varying shades of pink.

Weigela Pt 3

2010-11-07T13:20:00.001+11:00

As the flowers age the shade of pink deepens.

Weigela Continued

2010-11-06T13:18:00.000+11:00

When they first come out they are very pale pink in colour.

Weigela

2010-11-05T13:13:00.000+11:00

The weigela in full bloom.

A Closer View

2010-11-04T13:11:00.000+11:00

An Old Favourite

2010-11-03T13:07:00.000+11:00

The geranium, pink, from a cutting taken from my Mother's garden many years ago. Hardy & pretty when in flower.

Keeping Guard

2010-11-02T13:04:00.000+11:00

One of the many eight legged creatures that inhabit my garden.

Perfection Continued.............

2010-11-01T12:56:00.000+11:00

The Jennifer Rose.....continued

2010-10-31T13:01:00.000+11:00

A Closer View

2010-10-30T12:52:00.000+11:00

The Jennifer Rose

2010-10-29T12:48:00.000+11:00

A picture paints a thousand words.

White Rose

2010-10-28T12:46:00.000+11:00

The roses are out in all their glory.

Interesting

2010-10-27T12:42:00.003+11:00

This has come up in the middle of the front lawn. Obviously a weed of some kind, but I don't know what it is. We used to call it "Shivery Grass" when we were kids, but I am sure that is not the correct name. It's still interesting.

Weeds

2010-10-25T13:28:00.001+11:00

I must admit that when I see a dandelion like this, I really, really, really want to blow on it. Though of course I don't, I very carefully pluck them off & throw them in the green waste bin. It is amazing how fast they go from flowers to this, maximum 24 hours I think. Then all they need is a gentle knock or a gentle puff, & the seeds go off to do their thing. No winder they are weeds.

Scented Geranium

2010-10-24T13:24:00.000+11:00

The scented geranium by the side gate is a mass of flowers. Another plant grown from a cutting.

New Growth

2010-10-23T13:20:00.001+11:00

The bird's nest fern is sprouting lots of new fronds. I must feed it with a pile of gum leaves from the back yard.

An Orchid

2010-10-22T13:15:00.001+11:00

One of my orchids is in flower. Disappointing results this year, only two spikes. Though the man at the local orchid display a few weeks back said that it wasn't a good year for orchids. I wonder why?

Just Resting

2010-10-22T13:13:00.000+11:00

I found this fellow just resting on the back screen door.

The May Bush

2010-10-21T13:08:00.000+11:00

The may bush has been a mass of these tiny white flowers, making a stunning display in the back corner. About five years old now, I grew it from a cutting.

Garlic Chives

2010-10-20T13:03:00.000+11:00

The garlic chives are pretty flowers, normally a carousel of mauve blooms on one stem. This stem was a little lopsided from all the wind.

Blue Splashes

2010-10-19T10:36:00.000+11:00

The irises have been & gone this spring. This year I was very happy to have seven flowers scattered through the garden. They are slowly multiplying from the single bulb I bought a few years back.

Moth, Butterfly Or ..............................?

2010-10-18T09:55:00.001+11:00

This pretty little creature was resting under a branch on my climbing rose. Just over 1cm
long.

A Baby

2010-10-17T08:45:00.000+11:00

I found this fellow sitting on top of all the garden clippings in the green waste bin. Obviously only a baby, look at the size of his wings.

Building

2010-10-16T08:40:00.000+11:00

I caught this little fellow building his cocoon in the base of my orchids. I thought I would leave him there & see what happened. However, the next day he was gone. Maybe he did not like being disturbed in his work.

The Pollinater

2010-10-15T14:58:00.000+11:00

The last few posts are just some of the colours of African Daisies that are currently flowering in my garden. I am not even sure where the original plants come from. However, the bees love them, & pollinate them. The seeds form & they self sow, giving this wonderful array of patterns & colours come spring.

Although this little fellow is busy collecting pollen, he is also managing to pollinate the seeds of this flower. I wonder what colour variants I will get next year?

A Hint of White

2010-10-14T14:56:00.000+11:00

Radial Colour

2010-10-13T14:54:00.000+11:00

Shades of Pink

2010-10-12T14:51:00.000+11:00

Subtle shades of colour.

Natures Colour Schemes

2010-10-11T14:47:00.001+11:00

A close up view.

Hints of Colour

2010-10-10T14:44:00.001+11:00

White with hints of pink. Interesting how the colour is only on the tips & in the center.

Subtle Stripes

2010-10-09T14:34:00.000+11:00

More stripes, but more subtle than yesterdays.

Stripes

2010-10-08T14:38:00.000+11:00

I love these stripes.

African Daisies

2010-10-07T14:27:00.000+11:00

The African daisies are making a spectacular show in my garden at present.

Yellow Daisy

2010-10-06T11:46:00.001+11:00

Bushes of these yellow daisies seem to love my garden. A mass of flowers in spring, the bees love them, pollinate them, then they drop their little black seeds to start another bush. I am forever pulling then out.

Pink Roses

2010-10-05T11:41:00.000+11:00

I've lost count how many roses there have been this spring on the climbing rose on the back fence. It has had one flush of flowers already so far this spring, and now there are new shoots coming which I am sure will bring still more blooms.

May Bush

2010-10-04T11:39:00.000+11:00

The May Bush is just a sea of white, made up of thousands of these tiny white flowers.

Prospective Fruit

2010-10-03T11:36:00.001+11:00

The lemon tree has been flowering quite prolifically and the smell has been divine.

Ivy Geranium

2010-10-02T11:33:00.001+10:00

An ivy geranium that I grew from a cutting. Very easy to grow.

Getting Ready

2010-10-01T09:33:00.001+10:00

I have three pots of crab cactus, all getting ready to make a spectacular show.

Geraniums

2010-09-30T14:16:00.003+10:00

The red geraniums are in flower. Originally a cutting from my Mum's garden.

Rock Orchid

2010-09-21T13:55:00.001+10:00

My rock orchid has been in flower. Seven spikes full of these wonderful little blooms.

The New Season of Roses

2010-09-17T14:59:00.004+10:00

The new season of roses has already started. This is one of my climbing roses on the side fence, complete with aphids. The fence has already been a wall of pink blooms, and I have trimmed a lot of the dead heads back already. As I was doing this task I noticed all the new shoots after all the rain, so hopefully there will be more lots of more flowers to come.

A New Tennant

2010-09-14T15:49:00.004+10:00

Look who I found has moved into my lemon tree. I found him about a week ago & have no idea as to how long he was there before hand. So I am now watching & waiting to see who emerges. The cocoon is so interesting, and totally different to this one in my rain gauge last year. I am hoping that this one might be a beautiful butterfly, rather than the ugly moth that emerged from the rain gauge. Only time will tell & I am hoping I am around to see it happen.

Friends Of The Lemon Tree

2010-09-06T13:55:00.003+10:00

It's Spring, & everything is comming to life in my garden. This is just one of the spiders that has called my lemon tree home. He kept running away from the camera, hence the pic could be better. I was more interested in his spots & tiny size than anything. He is actually sitting on a lemon flower bud so you can get the proportion of size.

The Last of the Roses

2010-07-09T10:33:00.002+10:00

Yesterday was pruning day, pruning my roses that is. They were covered in black spot & rust from all the rain that we have had. Also because of the rain, there were new shoots coming everywhere, and probably new flowers too. But it is winter, they are supposed to be dormant, and now is the time to prune, so I did. Quite often I get lovely bunches of flowers when I prune, but this year I just got this one. The last stem from my Jennifer rose. It lookes & smells divine.

Nest Building

2010-07-06T12:02:00.006+10:00

It's that time of year again, nest building time for the crows. This would have to be about the fifth year in a row that they have made their home in the big gum tree next door. I must admit I think it is still a little early, but I guess by the time they finish building, lay & incubate eggs, the worst of winter will be hopefully over. Here we can see one of them on next door's garage roof, with a beak full of bark that was gathered from my back yard.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr .................. continued

2010-06-30T07:54:00.003+10:00

Well, yesterday on the news they told us that it had been the coldest June morning for 27 years, and this morning has been even colder. Old Jack Frost has even been visiting my back balcony again. I wonder how my strawberries will cope with a second dose? Mid July is usually our coldest time, which is when the snow hits the mountains about an hours drive away. Hibernation time has come I think.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

2010-06-29T11:15:00.005+10:00

Winter has arrived!

Clear nights, cold changes, lower temperatures & no wind mean frost! Frost is something we rarely get in our little part of the world. Being at the top of the hill is one reason, as is all the houses around with all the warmth. Then there are the gum trees in the neighbour's yard which also give us a little shelter. It's not that Sydney doesn't get frost, it certainly does, every year. Our little suburb does too, but they usually appear down the hill closer to the river, or in the open parks.

This morning though was different. The temperatures plummeted below zero & Old Jack Frost decided he was going to visit. These were my strawberries, at 8am this morning, up high on my back balcony where the frost has not reached for a number of years. I wonder how long it will be before we see it up here again.

There's A Mouse In The House!

2010-05-04T11:53:00.004+10:00

Well, not really, but the little creature came pretty close.

It all started when I heard the cat crying. Thinking that she was shut outside, I went to let her in, but when I went to the door she was not there. Investigating out the back a little further, I found her on the balcony with a mouse dangling from her mouth. As soon as she saw me, she took off downstairs, where she continued to play "cat & mouse" with the tiny creature for about an hour on the grass. Later, she wanted inside again, so with no mouse in sight, I let her in.

All was quiet for about 30 minutes until I heard her clawing at the door downstairs, bounding upstairs, then back downstairs again. When she heard me comming, she bounded up stairs again knowing I would open the door for her. The next thing I hear is her crying again. She was back by the back door with the mouse again, this time the mouse was on the ground with her watching it. As soon as she saw me, she wanted inside yet again. OK, as long as the mouse was outside .

So with the cat inside, the mouse decided he would make a run for it, right into the corner of the bricks & the screen door, with the cat sitting & watching just inside the screen. Now, if I opened the door, there would surely be trouble, and I did not want this creature inside. So, going out another door, complete with my trusty dustpan & brush, I collected the mouse & transported him right down the the back corner of the yard where he promptly disappeared into the garden shed. Good move by the mouse.

OK, so the mouse was safely gone, or so I thought. So when the cat asked to go outside again some time later, I let her out. All was quiet for a while & then the whole game started all over again. So, for a second time, I rescued the mouse with the dustpan & this time the cat was inside for the night. This morning the mouse was back on my balcony for the third time, though this time he definatley wasn't so lively. The cat had obviously collected him again in her early morning wander & wanted to show me her trophy yet again. I am assuming it is the same mouse, though why he came out of the garden shed where he was safe I'll never know. It is possible it was all differnt mice, though I shudder to even think on that line. The neighbours have birds & I figure the mice are comming for the seed. As long as the stay where the seed is I will be happy, it means that they are not in my house. Yippee!

Orchids

2010-05-03T13:11:00.004+10:00

Look what I found yesterday. My first orchid buds of the year! I am really happy, as this is one that I bought from the local orchid society about three years back. It has only flowered for me once, then nothing last year. A few weeks back I did notice this new green shoot & wondered, then yesterday I noticed not just one, but two flower spikes! The second one is around the other side. So now I am feeding, watching & waiting.

An Orange Bug's Playground

2010-04-07T13:39:00.002+10:00

Look what I found crawling on my clothes line the other day. Not quite sure what he/she is, obviously a beetle of some kind. Quite pretty though, & I love the sparkly green spots.

Visitor In Pink

2010-03-30T14:33:00.004+11:00

Look who was sitting up high watching me below. I first saw him from my back door, then went to get the camera, expecting him to be gone by the time I got back. Lucky me, he was still there, but watched me warilly. I got my pics, went away to do something else, came back to check & he was still there, so I got still more pics, even closer than before. Something is up, he is either cold, tired, wet, sick or old, otherwise he would have flown. We quite often see these galahs around, but they rarely stay sill long enough for the camera. I sure do hope he is OK.

Perfection V's Imperfection

2010-03-16T16:00:00.005+11:00

Perfection can sometimes be dabbed with imperfections. My beautiful Jennifer Rose, sunburnt slightly even though it is not quite open.

Pretty In Crimson

2010-03-10T13:45:00.004+11:00

Occasionally we visits from the crimson rosellas, but usually by the time I get the camera out, they fly. Last week I was lucky enough to get a shot (or two) of one sitting in the power lines out the front. He watched carefully as I took his pic but once again flew before I go too close. I'll have to see what I can do to get him closer more often.

.

Mr Cool

2010-02-25T14:36:00.011+11:00

Today we had a very unexpected visitor. I was working in my sewing room when I heard a noise downstairs. It sounded like something clawing on the screen door, mostly my cat when she wants to go outside. But when I looked, the cat was sitting on the mat ( as cats do), very alert & with her ears pricked, so I knew I just had to look. To my surprise I found a blue tongued lizard sitting by the door. Shocked, surprised, how did he get inside? By the time I grabbed the cat & put her out of harms way, then raced for the camera, Mr Cool had decided to hide. I found him under the stairs, hiding behind all the junk.

OK, so how to get him outside? I did think of sweeping him out with a broom, but instantly dismissed that idea as harmful, and I did not want to hurt or scare him any more than he already was . So I rang WIRES instead, the Australian Wildlife Rescue Organization, who suggested that I make a trail of sliced banana, grapes, dog food or cat food, from under the stairs to the door.

Banana was good, I had plenty, and it worked, except that I disturbed him (wanting more pics) & he ran for cover under the stairs again. So that meant another trail of banana & to leave him alone for a while longer.Eventually I came out to check on him again, just in time to see him slip over the doorstep to the path outside, where he tried to hide under the trailer.

Eventually he found shelter between some pot plants, and I've been to check on him again but he is long gone.

After The Rain

2010-02-15T13:49:00.008+11:00

Well, it's been a while, so I thought I would show you my garden after the rain. We have had rain on 11 days out of a possible 15 so far this month, with a total of 190mm, that's nearly 8 inches in the old school. Some of it has been from electrical storms, some just rain. I don't really care how it comes just as long as it fills the dams & gives everything a drink, including my garden which is currently singing, as you can see by the sea of pink below.

Then there is the frangipanni, the pink one that was given to me a few years back. It's been in a pot for a few years, and only flowered once in all that time. Then last year we planted it out into the garden and look what it is doing now. I just love the colour.
Then on the weekend I noticed a few of these fungi comming up in amongst my Rock Orchid. Not sure where they have emerged from, all I can think is the new orchid mix that I used for re-potting this orchid last year.
Rain, the giver of life. I will take it any way it comes, as long as there is some sunny days as well.

Rainbow Lorikeets Pt 4

2009-10-15T13:30:00.001+11:00

Oops, I'm being watched!

Rainbow Lorikeets Pt 3

2009-10-14T10:24:00.003+11:00

Mmmmmmm................................ it tastes better further down.

Rainbow Lorikeets Pt 2

2009-10-11T17:45:00.001+11:00

Mmmmm.........................

Rainbow Lorikeets Pt 1

2009-10-09T11:30:00.002+11:00

Rain, Hail, Or Shine?

2009-10-07T10:19:00.011+11:00

Mother Nature sure is handing it out lateley. Yesterday it was hail. For over 10 minutes it pumelled my garden & left an icey white blanket in it's wake. Lucky it was only small so the damage was minimal.

The roses have lost most of their petals.

The geranium baskets were covered in it,

and so were the orchids. The positives are that everything got an icey drink, and the ikky red dust has finally been washed away.

Dust, Dust, Dust & Still More Dust

2009-09-23T08:57:00.004+10:00

It's spring, & that usually means unstable weather. Yestrday was hot, humid & ikky, the kind of day that will only end in a storm, which it did. Great, cooling rain , cooling wind, & a clear perfect sky the next day. How wrong could I be? Instead we have dust! Thick red dust! From western NSW. Ikky horrible stuff that will not let me breath outside. All the windows are shut, the shutters are still down, and there are draft stoppers at every door, all trying to keep out this fine, red, gritty, ikky dust. The news reports this morning are saying it is the biggest one ever. I have seen dust storms before, only one mind you, but not like this, and never in Sydney. I wonder what Mother Nature will give us next.

New Growth

2009-08-11T08:30:00.002+10:00

The shrub roses are shooting.

The First of the Roses

2009-08-05T14:54:00.004+10:00

The first rosebud of the new season comes from my climbing rose on the side fence. So far the only one, but I am sure there will be others soon to follow judging by all the new pink growth that is happening.

The First of the Orchids

2009-08-03T11:46:00.005+10:00

My orchids are starting to bloom. This is the first one, just about open.

Winter... Or Is It Spring?

2009-07-22T14:41:00.002+10:00

We are in July aren't we? Well, that's what the calendar tells me. July in Sydney usually means lots of coats, scarves, boots, in fact anything to keep away the freezing cold winds that blow off the snow. Anyone in Sydney over the last few days would think that we are in late spring. The days have been nothing but glorious. Temps in the 20's, in fact 23 yesterday. How is that in the middle of winter! Normally we are lucky to make 15 deg. We still have another 6 weeks of winter to go so surely this weather will break soon. I'll enjoy the sun while I can.

A Rare Treat

2009-06-30T09:28:00.003+10:00

The birds were making a huge racket this morning. Currawongs, noisy minors & the crows were all going to town. Then I heard the cause, a kookaburra. We rarely get to see the kookaburras in this part of Sydney, so it was a treat to hear him. So racing with the camera to see if I could get a pic, I followed the lead of all the birds that were fluttering around in the gum tree and found him. I only managed one pic before the other birds chased him away. You will need to look in the center of the pic to find him & hopefully if you click on the pic it will enlarge so you can see better.

Winter Colour

2009-06-26T13:53:00.003+10:00

Well, the roses are pruned and now the garden can showcase my jonquils that were hiding underneath.

Transformation

2009-06-24T08:55:00.005+10:00

The caterpillar story continues.

Contrary to me thinking that he may have drowned in the rain guage, last week he proved me wrong. I had checked the guage in the morning, still a cocoon, but by late afternoon the above moth had emerged.

He sat in the gauge for two days until finally I tipped the guage up & he flew off to do whatever it is moths do.

The Very Last of The Roses

2009-06-23T14:20:00.004+10:00

We finally got a break in the weather. A dry day last Sunday ( well morning, anyway), gave us a chance to prune the roses. With all the rain we have had they were still blooming profusely, and with the recent rain there were new shoots appearing everywhere. Most of the blooms were spotted with the rain, but I manage to salvage a few to put inside. Not that these will last long either. Cool nights & mornings mean that the air con is on heat & roses will not last long with too much heat. So these will be the last rose pics until sometime in spring.

The Last of the Roses - Pt 3

2009-06-19T15:40:00.004+10:00

The last of the White Icebergs. Pruning will happen soon.

The Last of The Roses - Pt 2

2009-06-15T07:57:00.005+10:00

One of my pink roses from the front garden. There are only a few blooms left.

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The weather yesterday was nothing short of dismal. It started with one of those very deep pink sunrises that was spread right across the sky. A little like the colour in the center of this rose, (Sorry, no pics) and I wondered what was in store for us. "Red in the morning, shepherd's warning" & all that. The cloud stayed for most of the day, with intermitant splashes of weak sunshine, and the temperature only made it to 10.9 deg C. Brr.................... Today is looking much better with bright sunshine already.

The Last Of The Roses - Pt 1

2009-06-12T08:20:00.005+10:00

My roses need pruning, desperately, but with the rain that we have had recently they are blooming beautifully. They will just have to wait a little longer so I can enjoy the last of the season's offerings.

2 deg C in the garden again this morning, but the wind seems to have dropped which makes it seem a little warmer.