After the dryness of the closing months of 2011, we have had plenty of rain since the New Year. Here is a snapshot of what is happening in my garden for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. This meme, hosted by
May Dreams Gardens, provides the opportunity to visit the gardens of other bloggers around the world to see what's happening in their gardens each month.
This month I was pleased to see my white Ixora 'Kampon's Pride' in flower, and with the new growth finally assuming a more upright posture after doing a good prostrate imitation for a while there. It seems to be working quite well with the cordyline backdrop and the variegated alstomeria and a variegated pineapple for company.
There are still a few patches in this garden after I was a bit ruthless with the salvia and the cosmos. I need to handle 'succession planning' a little better, but it won't be long now. The self-seeded cosmos are almost ready to flower and the more exotic varieties that I planted are hot on their heels.
This is another ixora, 'Pink Malay'. I have a row of them behind the spider lilies on the driveway that are quite advanced, but this was a late addition to extend the border. The flower is almost as big as the plant.
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| New buds and white berries from the last flush of the Night-scented Jasmine Cestrum nocturnum |
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| Plumeria obtusa |
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| Plumeria pudica |
Another new appearance in the garden this month has been this dahlia 'Marie Antoinette'. It's been flowering like mad. I am looking forward to Spring when I can order a few more dahlia tubers.
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| The leopard lilies are still flowering well. |
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| Firespike Odontonema (I had seen this around for years, but never had a clue what it was called till I became a garden blogger!) |
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| I remember buying this at a tropical garden show, but I can't remember what it was, maybe a canna. It has never flowered and dies down every winter. |
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| More coloured foliage courtesy of a croton. |
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| Spiral ginger Costus and brugmansia have dominated the backyard all summer. |
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| One of my new orchids, a miltonia. |
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| An oncidium orchid. |
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| Hints of what's to come in the autumn garden, zinnia seedlings. |
You've got so much going on in your late summer garden. That Oncidium is fabulous and the Miltonia is just lovely. Love the Dahlia and your Ixora 'Kampon's Pride'. I have the rather common orange Leopard Lily, but I really love the colour of yours. Beautiful blooms once again.
ReplyDeleteP.S. That plant you were asking about out in the shadehouse is indeed a variegated Spiral Ginger, Costus speciosus variegata. I haven't seen any blooms yet, but it's well worth it for the fabulous foliage ... and the texture of the leaves!
I love all the gingers Bernie, but I think the Costus are my favourite. Very pleased about the white ixora. They seem to sell lots of the orange ones and, more recently, the gold but the white seems to be a bit more elusive. Happy to help you out with a little of the Leopard Lily if you ever get down this way, or if you think it will survive posting.
DeleteGreat pictures!!
ReplyDeleteI always love to see flowers and plants growing in different parts of the world.
Thank you for sharing,
Gisela.
Thanks for dropping by. I had a look at your tropical plants blog, but had trouble making a comment. You have covered so many different plants, you would give my reference book a run for its money.
DeleteI am glad I stopped in here. You have some really large and pretty blooms this GBBD.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna. I can't wait to see yours in your Summer when mine is enjoying its quiet time.
DeleteJak to miło patrzeć na piękne kwitnące kwiaty w ogrodzie, jak u nas śnieg i mróz. Pozdrawiam.*** How nice to look at the beautiful blooming flowers in the garden, as we have snow and frost. Yours.
ReplyDeleteHappy to be able to share a little Queensland colour.
DeleteWhat a great selection for GBBD - love those Plumeria's.
ReplyDeleteI posted some of the different colours that are in bloom a few entries back, but I always come back to the plain white plumeria.
Deletealoha,
ReplyDeletewhat a gorgeous collection, i love all the colors. i can't wait till spring also to get some dahlias, even though they are not fond of our wet/damp springs here...i'm guessing that is a canna or the difficult heliconia i also have that doesn't bloom (i forgot the name of it also)
Thanks Noel,it looks like David has solved the riddle and you were right on target too. Interesting that your Springs are wet in Hawaii. I imagined that your climate and Brisbane's would be very similar but it tends to stay dry here till Summer (December).
DeleteLOVE that Dahlia!! I'm enjoying Dahlias for the first time in my garden at the moment. Just love them!
ReplyDeleteHappy GBBD :)
Me too! I can't wait to add to my collection, and I am really enjoying having such a great cut flower for the house.
DeleteWhile running through a number of other blogs one to another, I came upon yours. Love the photos. The plants are so very different from those growing here at these gardens on the shores of Lake Michigan in USA. I'll be following you to see and learn about your area. Always the student that I am. Nice. Jack
ReplyDeleteHello Jack. I think we gardeners are all perpetual students.
DeleteWow...what magnificent tropical blooms! Each flower is more beautiful than the next...LOVE your gardens! Happy GBBD!
ReplyDeleteHappy GBBD to you too Lee, and thanks for your lovely comments.
DeleteBeautiful collection. We have so many of the same plants it's almost scary. That mystery plant is a Canna called Canna indica 'Red Stripes'. I have one in my GBBD post as well. (See what I mean)
ReplyDeleteI love those Plumeria. I can almost smell them.
Happy GBBD!
David/:0)
I love the thought of two mirror image gardens - one in each hemisphere. We obviously both have excellent taste in plant selection!
DeleteAhhh...what beautiful blooms! You're making me pine for summer already!
ReplyDeleteThanks Scott. No doubt I will be pining for warmer weather and summer flowers in our chilly July!
DeleteHello Marisa,
ReplyDeleteYour garden is so beautiful and so are your pics. Now I cannot wait for it to be Spring here soon. Have a lovely day!...Heidi
Hello Heidi, Thank you. Hope you had a brilliant GBBD!
Deletelovely flowers in your garden! Teh dahlia is really awesome with long head stalk!!
ReplyDeleteThe long stems make it a great cut flower. It's wonderful to bring some of the flowers into the house.
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