Goodbye Winter

Today is the last day of winter in Australia. Cool mornings and beautiful sunny days will gradually give way to warm nights and hot days. Our white camellias have begun to flower.

The Anemone Poppies continue to entrance me with their blooms.

 The grape hyacinths stand delightfully tall.

Another Anemone Poppy greets the daylight.

Winter has been a time of colour and new flowers. Spring will no doubt bring even more of the same. Each season is magnificent, I wouldn't want to miss a single one.


Sharing at I Heart Macro.

Yesterday's Song

My little songbird sang loud and clear morning and afternoon, making up the song as she went.

The day dawned cool and foggy. The pecan nut tree by the levee wall stands bare as wild ducks scavenge underneath.

Another Livingstone Daisy reveals its face for the first time, fresh as .... a daisy!

Two hours later and the stamens are busting open.

As it faces the afternoon sunshine, the stem clearly reveals its succulent nature.

 The smokey haze created a wonderful sunset as I walked over the bridge. The sun was actually bright red, not white. Can anyone tell me how to capture the red setting sun? (I was using my super zoom here.)

A day of delights, yet my happy songbird with her tennis ball microphone, is my very favourite memory.....


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Little Surprises

The first bloom from my early winter planting!

There's something special about growing a new-to-you plant for the first time. When last I bought seeds I added a packet I'd never heard of before - "Livingstone Daisy" Mesembryanthemum, Dorotheanthus bellidiflorus.

"Versatile and easy to grow" said the packet - suits my gardening style! They are a small succulent, native to South Africa, plants growing only 3" or 8cm high and wide.

"Seedlings emerge 14-21 days" the packet stated. Miss E was quite excited to discover her first green tips this morning, just 6 days after planting!!! Sowing in late winter isn't ideal but I'm hopeful they will grow well anyway.

Another of my little Livingstone Daisies is about to burst into flower, a pink one this time. I look forward to seeing which colours Miss E's will be.

Do you enjoy growing something new and different in your garden or do you prefer to stay with your favourites? I like to do a little of both but definitely enjoy the element of surprise which comes with cultivating the previously unknown.

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Hyacinth......

Day 1                                                                 Day 4                                                          Day 6

Day 7,    8:30am                                            Day 7,   2:30pm                                         Day 7,    4:30pm 

Day 8,   am                                                          Day 8,    pm                                                           Day 9

Day 10

Day 10

....delightful in every way.



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Big Hopes and Dreams

Last week they chose and painted pots. Seeds had been selected. This afternoon they eagerly planted.
You have to sow to reap.
"When will our flowers grow? I want them to grow tomorrow," says Miss E.

Photo Shoot Surprise

Our homeschooling day took an unexpected turn with a phone call mid-morning. Some cricketers were required in the middle of a work/school day for a photo shoot to help promote our beautiful valley. With winter days like this, wouldn't you like to live here too?

It was fascinating to watch and to see some of the gear these freelance photographers had.

 After the adults had been photographed they turned their attention to the youngsters, our three amigos!

Our "famous" models then returned for studies, coral reefs this afternoon.....

One never knows what tomorrow will hold.


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More Beautiful.....

                                                                                                                            Available for purchase here

Today's favourite photo of my Anemone Poppy which seems to grow even more beautiful each day, if that's possible.


PHOTOGRAPHY NOTE: Canon 600D, 50mm 1.4 lens with Raynox macro conversion lens. Aperture priority f 7.1 (ISO1000, 1/80), handheld. This flower is growing outside in a pot, taken in my shadow.


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Pleasantly Mistaken

                                                                                         1.                                                           Available for purchase

Gazing in wonder this week at the multitude of photos I've taken of this one flower.....

2.

Remember this bud from last week which I named Ranunculi? When it opened a few days later it revealed its true identity as an Anemone Poppy!!!!

3.

4.

5.

Look at that centre, isn't it just stunning!

                                                                                                  6.                                                 Available for purchase

Is it any wonder I've been fascinated by its beauty?

7.

Late each afternoon the flower petals gently close, as if protecting the magnificent centre-piece. The photo above taken around 9am the following morning, the one below less than two hours later.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Today is the third day since it first opened, it seems to spread wider open each day, maybe the gorgeous pink filament arms are a little longer too (comparing this one to photo #1 at the top), sheltered again each evening  by perfectly pink petals. I am so enjoying this beautiful flower, another first for me. Quite happy to have been mistaken, I wonder if any of my real ranunculi will show themselves and flower?

NOTE: The Anemone Poppy, Anemone Coronaria, is also known as Wind Poppy and belongs to the Ranunulaceae family. It is native to the Mediterranean area.

PHOTOGRAPHY NOTE: Each macro here taken using my fixed-lens Lumix superzoom with a Raynox macro conversion lens attached.


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Morning Gold

                                                                                                                              Available for purchase here

This morning I took a rare opportunity to go beyond my own backyard during the very early morning.

                                                                                                                         Available for purchase here

The jacarandas are slowly turning golden in preparation for a spring of purple blossoms. The misty fog was gently lifting from the river.

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While capturing the fog I noticed a spot of bright yellow.

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A lone winter sunflower stood "tall" along the river's grassy verge.

                                                                                                                              Available for purchase here

The morning's golden hour gave way to a beautiful day which later overflowed with more challenges and blessings than anticipated. We have to take those golden opportunities whenever we can for one never knows what's ahead.


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