Back to boring...and loving it!

It's almost two months now since my return from Jakarta, and finally, the pace is beginning to slow down a little. My office is closed until the 2nd January, so it is great being able to just potter round the house and garden and have time to smell the roses, er frangipani. I do love this white Plumeria obtusa, but there are some wonderful coloured varieties too that I shared earlier in the year, here.

We have had some decent rain and a couple of impressive storms,

sometimes followed by wonderful sunsets.

Over the last week or so, we have experienced a couple of really muggy days, so Onslow was a very happy pup when I topped up his paddle pool for him.

One member of the household didn't fare so well. A goldfish went missing. Am I just imagining it or does this kookaburra have a glint in his eye? He did seem to take a fancy to sitting in the frangipani overlooking the goldfish just prior to the mystery disappearance.

A more innocuous visitor was this gorgeous critter. It looked like a moth and acted like a bee, but the green body and clear wings threw me, so I contacted Kathy at Queensland Uni. She told me it is an interesting type of hawk moth (Family Sphingidae) called a bee hawk moth or clear-winged moth (Cephanodes sp). If you are interested, you can read about them here.

I can't quite remember when, maybe this time last year, I bought three potted caladiums. I vaguely remember thinking that I must plant them into the garden, but had quite forgotten about them.  A couple of weeks ago, these popped up, and I must admit they might be my new gardening obsession.

Below is a glimpse I caught of a corner of one of my neighbour's gardens. Don't the caladiums look brilliant paired with bromeliads. Interestingly, I went online to find who stocked them, and it seems sourcing them is a bit of a challenge here in Australia. Most of the commercial nurseries don't have them, so it is a matter of hunting them down at markets and stalls, or buying them on e-bay. I found a great website and got some helpful information here.  I especially like how Brian has used them in landscaping.

Elsewhere in the garden, the Sambac Jasmine 'Grand Duke of Tuscany' has come out a little more since Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

 so too, the Yucca.

There are a couple of different daylilies out.

'Donna Mead'

'Finish with a Flourish'

and my first ever Scabious are coming into bloom. Here with Salvia 'Heatwave Sizzle' in the background and the garden bed 'mulched' with fallen poinciana flowers.

Of course, when it all gets too exhausting observing the weather, the wildlife, and the garden, it's time for a snooze on the couch with Bella and Onslow.  In fact, that's where I am heading right now. I do love holidays!

From all of us at Casa Bella, have a great weekend and a wonderful Christmas break.