Here at Casa Bella our thoughts are with all those affected by extreme weather, from the UK's floods and North America's freeze, to the heatwaves and bushfires in South and Western Australia. I am sure gardening is far from many people's minds, but perhaps this update for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day can provide a temporary distraction.
It has been a relatively mild summer here in Brisbane. The only unusual feature so far has been the late arrival of our wet season. Hopefully it is just late and not bypassing us completely, or it will be a long dry year ahead.
As usual, my summer garden is dominated by the huge poinciana in the front garden. Because of its size, I used to think of it as fully grown and a static presence, but it is becoming clear that it is still spreading. Many of the sun-loving annuals and perennials planted in the front garden are falling under ever-increasing shade, and a few moves will be in order before next season.
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| Plumeria obtusa with a flowering yucca behind and the red of the Poinciana |
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| White ixora and variegated pineapple |
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| Onslow knows it's all about keeping cool in summer. |
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| I brought my Adenium indoors so I could enjoy the pink and white blooms for a few weeks. |
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| These two bromeliads are Achmea 'Burning Bush' and the spotted foliage of Billbergia 'Hallelujah' |
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| Plumeria pudica |
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| Yucca in bloom |
The next two plants are not from my garden, but I spotted them on walks and couldn't resist including them.
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| Gloriosa lily |
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| Russelia |
Meanwhile, back on my driveway...
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| Strelitzia or Bird of Paradise |
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| Miniature ginger Globba winitii |
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| Firespike |
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| Datura and croton |
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| Here's a close up of the croton. I love tropical foliage. It ensures I have colour all year round even when nothing is in flower. |
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| Another foliage favourite, a Neoregelia bromeliad . |
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| Some of the potted caladiums along the side of the carport. |
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| This pale caladium is one of my favourites. |
And finally, I am letting Miss B have the last 'word'. She thinks Onslow gets way too much attention in this blog, just because he is an exhibitionist!
To see what is happening in other gardens around the world this Bloom Day, visit Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day host Carol at
May Dreams Gardens.
Fabulous colour everywhere in your garden. We've been missing the usual monsoonal wet season up here in the Ville as well. While it's been pouring down just a little further north, here we've had only intermittent showers. As you say, the year ahead is going to be hard on the garden without the wet season rain.
ReplyDeleteAll my Poincianas have finished blooming now, and my Plumeria obtusa is coming to the end of their blooming cycle. The pudica still powers on. Love the colour on that Adenium, and I just adore all those Caladiums. Great collection.
Gee Bernie, I hadn't realised that it was just as dry up your way. Hopefully, there will be decent rain before too long. It's heartbreaking to see how the drought has affected the farmers. Do your Plumeria obtusa get rust? Mine have a shorter season and lose their leaves now, despite being 'evergreen', because of it.
DeleteHi, lovely summer garden, and your dogs look pretty chilled out too!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you haven’t had enough rain, if I could I would send some down to you as I can assure you, over here in London we have more than enough!! It has been a mild winter over here, no frost at all and no snow, only 2 weeks left till 1st day of spring so I hope we won’t get any frost. Snow in March and April happens, but it feels so out of order, like….what’s the point?! If it can’t come when we have winter, why bother coming at all…
Hope you have a great week-end. Take care, Helene.
Hi Helene, I dropped by your blog today and saw that your fuchsias are still blooming, so it must be a very mild winter indeed. Fingers crossed the rain will ease up for you soon.
DeleteWe are under a blanket of snow here in upstate New York, and it was so refreshing to see your outdoor flowers. I share your thoughts for everyone world wide who is suffering from the weather this year. I've never seen croton as an outdoor plant - here, it is either in greenhouses or is a houseplant. I've seen Bird of Paradise in Florida, where it is warm or hot all year, and it is one of my favorite flowers. Happy GBBD.
ReplyDeleteHappy to provide a diversion from all the cold and snow you are experiencing.
DeleteYou have certainly provided a diversion with your beautiful tropical blooms and foliage. We are under a blanket of snow here in the northeast with more coming down this evening. Your gardens are like a paradise and put a smile on my face! Happy Bloom Day to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lee. Thanks to Carol's Bloom Day, I will look forward to enjoying all your beautiful Spring and Summer blooms when things get a bit dry and boring here over our winter.
DeleteHello Marissa, thanks for visiting my site, this is our first time to visit blogsites. Yes we have many common plants but it definitely is easier to garden in your climate being sub-tropical. I wish we have lower temps like yours. That plant with red tubelike flowers above the Strelitzia is growing here too, but not as beautiful as yours. It is lanky here with fewer flowers. Anyway, i am a common visitor in Bernie's blogs and we communicate often.
ReplyDeleteI love the tropics Andrea, but I can imagine that it is a real challenge gardening there. I leave all my bigger gardening jobs till after the weather has cooled down a little. The plant you mentioned with the red flowers, Russelia, is often a bit lanky here too. That was such a lovely display I couldn't resist a photo.
DeleteYour garden looks like it's thriving in the heat.
ReplyDeleteI saw you asked about rust and frangipanis. I find if I feed them with Potash in Spring they flower longer and don't get rust. I just have to remember to do it each year. It's not a cure - I think maybe the Potash just makes them healthier to resist the rust.
Thanks for the tip, Ros. I have tried to avoid using fungicides. It's great to have an alternative. At last some lovely rain here this morning. Hope you are getting it too.
DeleteYour garden is looking quite healthy with all the lovely blooms....I hope you get some decent rain soon.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen such a beautiful Russelia, they usually look so unkempt. I like the cream coloured kind. If I could get one to grow like your photo above, I would definitely have one in my garden.
Bella and Onslow are dealing very well with the heat. Now Brownie wants a wading pool to beat the heat too!!
Hi, Virginia. You are right that does seem to be an exceptionally good Russelia. That is a relatively new block of townhouses, so I will keep an eye on the garden to see if it stays as good as it is now. The wading pools are fun for the dogs. That was just someone's throwaway, but Onslow loves it. Miss B remains extremely dubious.
DeleteThanks for giving us a glimpse of some other summer. I got to see my first Poinciana in the flesh a couple of summers ago. It made me want to move some place tropical.
ReplyDeleteIt really is a gorgeous tree, Les - almost worth moving for, but then in your summer I will be wishing I lived somewhere I could grow cool climate plants.
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