Favourite coffee shop

When I used to work, this was my favourite coffee shop. They also sell flowers. On Sundays they clean the shop and prepare the flowers for sale.

Frangipani season

Late November sees the October/Nov flush of jacaranda-purple replaced by my favourite flower of all (I think!) - the frangipani (plumeria). It's native to Mexico and central America.

I'll probably post more as the season progresses. These blooms, spilling out from a garden, caught my attention as I walked by.

Here's the last time I posted about frangipanis, in 2009. They made up my mother's wedding bouquet.

Friday perfection

Camellia japonica in my garden

Spring 2 : Poppies in a vase

A huge thank you to my friend, Hainee, who organised for these to be sent to me at home while I recuperate.

Poppies, sweet pea and spring blossom.

Signs of Spring 1: Camellia japonica

"Officially" it's still winter here in Sydney, but the signs of spring are all around me, even in my small suburban garden.

Been confined to barracks lately after a small operation, so garden patrol is about as far as I have roamed.

Orchid Sunday

Midwinter's Day

Winter solstice in Sydney - warm (20 deg C), sunny, still, quiet. Birds twittering, children playing in neighbouring yards. A blissful day.

No false advertising

It may be winter, but my hibiscus plants are blooming. This one is better even than the label - no false advertising here!

Sally and Ann's Excellent Adventure 18: Flannel Flower

 Sydney (or Eastern) flannel flowers (Actinotus helianthi) along the track through Bangalley Head. It is a member of the carrot family!

Lilac tree (maybe?)

Update 30 oct 2011: Fionie the Green Thumb and font on all things horticultural has provided the answer - these are Cape Chestnuts: calondendrum capense, natives to Cape Town. The Cape Floral Kingdom is both the smallest and richest floral kingdom on Earth. They usually grow incredibly well in Australia (Gondwanaland and all that....)

Last Sunday, a beautiful day in Sydney, I was swimming at Bexley pool. I looked up and saw these magnificent flowering trees.

Apart from the beauty of the blossoms, they had the most magnificent scent.

I wasn't sure what they were, but googling seemed to suggest they are lilac trees. I'm still not sure though, so if anyone knows, I'd appreciate help!

Further investigation indicated lilacs are cool climate trees, liking frosty conditions.

That doesn't fit too well, cos the suntrap at Bexley pool doesn't speak of frosts.

Purple lilac flowers are supposed to symbolise the emotion of being in love; white lilacs represent youthful innocence.

Winter blooms

Juxtaposition

Autumn bloom

It's autumn and that means my camellia sasanqua starts to bloom.

Pretty

Spring azaleas

Nothing says springtime to me quite like banks of azaleas. Unless it's jasmine, or.....

Spring is sprung

Fresh air, fresh blooms, fresh leaves on trees. Azaleas bloom in late winter, early spring, and they have been at their best the last week or so. The plane trees are re-leafing after their short hiatus. Winter is pretty short and unbrutal in Sydney, and spring doesn;t last long either!

Bottle brush

Still at Terrigal, here's a lovely bottlebrush blooming for spring.

Nan Tien Temple: The Lotus Pond

From the Nan Tien website:

"Lotus - whether shown as a developing bud, in full bloom, with or without a stem - is one of the most complex and prominent Buddhist symbols of purity and enlightenment. From the swampy depths it grows into an exquisite and fragrant flower. Likewise, people can emerge from ignorance, become pure, and blossom into enlightenment. The lotus is also a cosmic flower, representative of the supramundane. Lotus imagery abounds throughout Nan Tien Temple. Most of the Buddha and Bodhisattva figures are on lotus thrones."

Seasonal change

On April 3 this year, I published the photo at left - a colourful bougainvillea in early autumn, a last flush from summer.

Above is the same plant captured last week - the blooms are fading fast.

Camellia Sasanqua

Having been sick for quite some time (but mended well now!) and then away down the coast (both reasons I haven't paid too many visits to blogs lately either), I haven't been taking too many photos. But I ventured out my back door and decided my camellia sasanqua, blooming right now, was a beautiful thing to behold! It's been rainy and windy and many petals are strewn on the ground and turned brown on the shrub.