Friday Flowers: Pansies and memories

As you know I photograph flowers whenever I travel and in Salt Lake recently, that was pansies..they were in large pots along the footpaths. The poor little things couldn’t quite decide if they should be out, and at times looked a little frost-bitten and scraggly despite the unseasonally warm weather.

Pansies always remind me of my mother, who grew them in her garden before her move to the retirement home. They are also a reminder of Mum’s aunt, who loved pansies and also gave me little teacups with pansy patterns.

So here are my frosty Salt Lake City pansies.

Just checking if you noticed. These tulips were in Harmon’s grocery for $5 so I indulged in a bunch for my hotel room…it’s not often I’m in one place long enough when travelling to buy flowers.

Which is your favourite? Mine is the last one…but then I’m a purple obsessive.

I hope these gorgeous flowers have brought sunshine and happiness to your day.

 

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Friday Flowers: Boxing Day Grevilleas

Well, Christmas Day is over for another year, at least it is Down Under. For those still in the throes of presents, wrapping and food, I hope you’re having a great time.

It’s the Boxing Day holiday in Australia and it’s traditional for people to be at the beach on holidays, or watching the start of the Sydney-Hobart yacht race or the Boxing Day Test cricket. Our family on the other hand will just be hanging out and eating left-overs. Here in the Top End of Oz we’ve reached the Wet Season with mammoth storms, lightning and thunder…and a merciful drop in humidity. Today’s grevillea flowers are Australian natives, some seen in the bush, some cultivars, but uniquely different.

 

And just so you get an idea of what the rest of Australia might be doing here’s a sunny beach scene from Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

I hope these gorgeous flowers have brought sunshine to you this Friday.

Friday Flowers: Christmas is coming

While the northern hemisphere is visited by monochrome whites and greys interspersed with evergreen foliage, Down Under we know Christmas is coming when the poincianas start flowering. This year they flowered early in Darwin and most are now running out of puff with only a scattering of blossoms. I photographed these a few weekends ago.

Although I’d gathered a couple of images, it was this magnificent display in the Darwin Botanic Gardens that blew the others off the page. Actually if you look closely it’s two trees growing close together as one side has a slightly more orange tint while the other is quite red. I love the park bench, in red, under the canopy.

 I hope these gorgeous flowers have brought sunshine to you this Friday as you plan for Christmas.

 

Friday Flowers: Papery Pastels & Happy Thanksgiving.

 Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!

Although it’s Friday Down Under, those Up Over are probably still sitting round the table hooking into turkey and treats. May you have wonderful family time together making lots of memories.

A few weeks ago the crepe myrtles were in full flower in all their pastel glory. As a small tree they’re rather nondescript until they burst forth in flower.

 I hope these gorgeous flowers have brought sunshine to you this Friday.

 

Friday Flowers: Tropical Colours

One thing about the tropics, the colours of the flowers usually burst out at you….they do have to compete with some pretty bright light.

Sadly i have no idea what this plant is called but it is in Darwin’s Botanical Gardens.

A common or garden purple bougainvillea is enlived by its unusual presentation.

A passionfruit flower (not sure which variety)

Heliconias/gingers are readily available here, especially as cut flowers at the markets.

I hope these gorgeous flowers have brought sunshine to you this Friday.

 

Friday Flowers – Frangipani Dreaming

At this time of the year Darwin is bedecked with Frangipani trees in full glorious flower. Where they are growing affects when they flower and for how long. Here are some  I took near the Botanic Gardens last week, and one from our own garden.

 

I hope these gorgeous flowers have brought sunshine to you this Friday.

 

Friday Flowers: Orchids

I’ve been inspired by the images of beautiful flowers my friends have been posting lately on Facebook as an antidote to all the miseries of the world. Looking at my Pinterest Flower pins set me thinking – why not have a Friday Flowers theme on this blog? Sometimes it will be tropical flowers but other times it will be images from our travels. Some may even have appeared on earlier Open Garden posts.

And so today I bring you some brilliantly coloured orchid images I’ve taken over the years.

I hope these gorgeous flowers have brought sunshine to you this Friday.

Shadow Shot Sunday: Cycad and waterlilies

Another Open Garden, another tranquil spot.

Waterlilies and a magnificent cycad add drama to this scene.

Check out the other amazing photos in Shadow Shot Sunday.

Garden flamboyance

Before I started visiting Open Gardens it wouldn’t have occurred to me to add “artificial” colour and sculptures to the garden. I’m now a convert and love the additional splashes of colour. Tropical light and gardens welcome vivid colours. Balinese flags appear in almost every garden.

On the Road: Mataranka Hot Springs

Yes it looks like a swimming pool and it has been formed into a man-made pool, but it’s a natural phenomenon: hot springs at Mataranka.

It’s ages since we’ve been here but it was a great stop on the final day of my July drive home. Being the Dry Season the weather was in the balmy late 20s so a warm dip was just perfect and so refreshing. Don’t you wish you could be here?

You can even combine this interlude with a bit of culture as it’s closely associated with an autobiographical novel many Australians will have read: We of the Never Never by Jeannie Gunn, about her life on Elsey Station. There’s a model of the homestead near the parking lot.