What's Blooming Mid-May

Winter is on it's way. There's a nip in the air each morning and the sun is retiring early and sleeping in. We've a some rain but generally sunny clear days this month.

The poinsettias are coming into bloom. They always add colour during the cooler months. We prune them back each year after flowering and take cuttings so have quite a few throughout the garden.

When one is missed and allowed to grow without pruning, it reaches almost as high as the palm trees.

The Brazilian Red Cloak is covered in blooms. Some of the bracts are up to 30cm / 12 inches tall.

Continuing on the red theme, the callistomen has started to flower as well.

Pretty little ablutens

 

There are still flowers on the alamanda. It will be trimmed back soon (when all the flowers have finished).

 

Just a few blooms left on the tibouchina

 

 Justicia Brandegeana seems to like this time of year. The plants are almost covered by the ornamental sweet potato I used as a ground cover - but I like the contrasting colours.

I seem to have a couple of colour themes in different parts of the garden - the various reds and deep greens, then there's the yellows and purples. Complimentary colours on the colour wheel. Really, it's just which plants I like growing together.

an up close shot

 

The salvias have surpised me. I planted these last spring. They died back and sulked over summer and have started blooming again now that the weather has cooled a bit. - Maybe they've self-seeded and these are completely new plants. If so, the colour is true to form so I'm happy with the result.

 

I don't know it's name, but this bromeliad surprised me with it's "flower" as well.

 

Gardens are constantly changing, whether you want them too or not. I love to wander and observe. There are often surprises to be found. I love it when they are pleasant surprises.

 

 

 

Enough garden! It's game time!

 

 

A perfect time for gardening

Gardeners know that although there is work to be done throughout the year some seasons beckon the them to come out and play more than others.

Bright sunny skies and a soft cool breeze make this time of year just perfect for spending time on the garden.

Each season has its good points in our garden.

Spring brings new growth and warmth after the chill of Winter which in turn gives us a chance to catch our breath and to undertake landscaping projects and redesign the garden.

 

Summer is a time of lush growth and enjoying the longer daylight hours, but it can also be a frantic time for maintenance - keeping the grass mowed, weeding and trimming back plants whose growth is a bit too exuberant.

 

Autumn has it's own worth. In the subtropics, we rarely get to  see the changing colour or falling of leaves. What we have are clear blue skies and mild temperatures to greet us each day and tempt us into the garden.

 

The vegetable patch is full speed ahead at this time of year. We eat salads all year round and it won't be long before these lettuce are ready to harvest.

 

 

The bok choy and pak choy are destined for stir-fries. The carrots have spouted but we'll have to wait a while for them yet (and the broccoli). We're already using the basil, parsley and chives.

 

 

The mizuna is powering on as well - destined for salads mainly.

 

 

The passionfruit flowers are turning into fruit.

 

 

The eggplants are ripening. Eggplant lasagne - YUM! - with a home grown salad.

 

 

There is more coriander that we will ever use. I saved seed from last years plants and scattered a few (well quite a few). I think they must have all germinated because we have hundreds of seedlings.

 

 

We don't have the beauty of trees turning golden and red but Autumn in the subtropics has its own special beauty and bounty.

 



A Perfect Autumn Day

Autumn has begun.
I know that officially it began at the start of March but the weather has seemed more like Summer (with heat and rain) until now. The evenings and mornings are cooler and the weather is fine and sunny. It's a beautiful time of year.

The fragrant Hedychium gingers are blooming a little late this year but very welcome. I wish there was smell-a-vision to share their perfume with you.

 

Meanwhile, winter flowering plants like the Brazilian Red Cloak and calliandras are also blooming.
We are experiencing the best of both seasons in the garden at the moment.

Our climate allows us to garden all year round with different plants looking their best in each season. In planning the garden I've tried to include plants for each season and somewhat succeeded. Most of my cool weather bloomers, I've realised, have red flowers. They make the garden feel warmer and brighter on cold days and look so good against the greens.

I didn't do a lot in the garden over the weekend, just a bit of weeding and watering the vegetable patch (which is coming along nicely) but this weather is making me want to take some time off work to spend digging in the dirt and playing with plants.

The weekend wasn't wasted however. We spent the afternoon yesterday with some wonderful friends and on Saturday I finished two paintings I've been working on for a while.

This one had been sitting unfinished in a corner for a few years.

 

I am so enjoying getting back into painting. I haven't painted for ages and I'm very much an amateur, but it's relaxing and enjoyable. It also makes you appreciate your surroundings with renewed vision - to notice the small details, the play of light on a leaf, the colours and shapes of clouds, the fall of shadows. For me, it makes the world a more interesting place.