A Little Bit of This and a LIttle Bit of That - More Autumn Ramblings

Almost at the end of April, we're experiencing the tug-of-war between summer and winter. Warmer days and cooler days and nights weave their way in and out of our weather patterns, as if some invisible marker was being pulled to and fro over an imaginary line on the ground that represents our days.

There are those days that we seize and fill our washing lines to capacity and then there are those when we are grateful to snuggle up with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate and catch up on a movie or two.

Some nights we can smell the wood smoke from the wood fires warming homes in the gully behind us. Soon this will happen every night. Although Sydney is not cold by polar standards, for all my North American friends, it's really more what you're used to than relative cold!

All around are the signs of things winding down before the onset of winter. The calla lilies have yellowed and are drooping, the  leaves on my frangipani tree have started to wither and will soon begin to fall. 

Three small and slightly nibbled Granny Smith apples have appeared on the ground beneath my apple tree. I assume our visiting birds are responsible, although I had no idea the apple tree was still carrying any apples at all, I had thought all had already been consumed.

This year's apple crop

One of the apple bandits

Apple bandits (AKA Crimson Rosellas)

I figured I might as well give the apples to the birds and the Rainbow  Lorikeets were quite
impressed.Lorikeets are essentially fruitivors so the apples are really better for them than the
seed we leave out for the other parrots

The Lorikeets seem to be very hierarchial, the senior birds get to eat first

They also startle easily, once one goes, the whole group departs.

When the perceived danger has passed they soon return

And await their turn to eat

A hungry Galah

Froggie Love - I so hoped he'd oblige me and sit on the lily pad, but frogs have their own ideas on such things

All around our us, Tibouchinas are in full bloom, their vibrant purple hues demand admiration in many gardens and in ours, my own babies are putting on their own show for us. Tibouchina Groovy Baby still stands at only around 25cm and the flowers seem way too big for such a tiny plant to carry. Fully grown she will reach around 40cm, she is flowering her little heart out and laden with many more buds just waiting to unfurl their brilliant contribution to our autumn display.

Tibouchina Groovy Baby

Tibouchina Peace Baby will grow taller in time and her blooms seem in better proportion to her height. I love the contrast of the pink and purple stamens against the fresh white petals. My bush lost a fair bit of foliage over summer and as a result resembles a lanky teenager at the moment and I think a judicious trim once flowering has ceased may be in order. Even so, these brilliant flowers make it impossible to walk past without a second glance.

Tibouchina Peace Baby

This particular Blue Frills fuchsia flower is massive.

I've photographed it with another Blue Frills flower to show the size difference

Fuchsia Pink Ruffles

Fuchsia Heidi Ann

My Rescue Fuchsia in the front, Fuchsia Brian C Morrison at the back

I am always amazed to find my lilacs spot flowering. Although they do this with some regularity, this year seems to be the best, perhaps a pay back for the extra effort I've given this garden bed this year.

Early Lilac spot flowering

More Lilac spot flowering

Lilac Buds

The last of the Geisha Girl Flowers,  the flowers brown and  fade, then berries come to take their place.

The berries on the Geisha Girls

Yesterday's surprise was this humongous flower on Mister Lincoln, and it had a friend. After sulking for the past
 18 months he has once again grown higher than the top of the window and has produced some amazing blooms,
 this one dwarfs my hand.

Mister Lincoln, so fragrant and so superb, now I remember what I love about this rose and why he has a place in my garden.

Gertrude Jekyll (David Austin) has also been very quiet, now erupting into action with this magnificent bloom.

L'Amour (Brindabella) - so delicate, simply stunning!.

Mister Lincoln & L'Amour - it's always a delight to bring the garden indoors. L'Amour is very fragrant but you need
to smell her first because Mister Lincoln makes her seem insipid by comparison.

This is a time that the roses are able to shine, gone is the scorching midday heat. This is also a time for forward planning. We've been digging in the new rose garden ("we" being my other half and myself) and the lower level retaining rocks are now all in place which is a massive achievement that has, with one thing or another, taken us 5 or 6 months to reach. More soil will need to be brought in soon then the long suffering pot rose population can move into their permanent garden.