Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day February 2014

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.

 

Plumeria obtusa with a flowering yucca behind and the red of the Poinciana

 

 

White ixora and variegated pineapple

 

Onslow knows it's all about keeping cool in summer.

I brought my Adenium indoors so I could enjoy the pink and white blooms for a few weeks.

 

These two bromeliads are Achmea 'Burning Bush' and the spotted foliage of Billbergia 'Hallelujah'

Plumeria pudica

Yucca in bloom

The next two plants are not from my garden, but I spotted them on walks and couldn't resist including them.

Gloriosa lily

Russelia

Meanwhile, back on my driveway...



Strelitzia or Bird of Paradise

Miniature ginger Globba winitii

Firespike

 

 

Datura and croton

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.

Another foliage favourite, a Neoregelia bromeliad .

Some of the potted caladiums along the side of the carport.

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.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day February 2013

One of the joys that follows decent rain here is Brisbane is the flush of flowers on the Murraya or Mock Orange and the glorious perfume that accompanies it.

I have a murraya hedge near the front door, but because it is regularly clipped the blooms are sparse. Not so the bush near my driveway! I only occasionally trim it back when it obscures too much of my vision as I reverse out of the driveway and it rewards me with a mass of blooms.

As you can see above, the poinciana is still flowering.

There are two kinds of plumeria flowering at the moment. The unscented Hammerhead frangipani Plumeria pudica

and the Evergreen frangipani Plumeria obtusa

It's quite a sensory overload of a evening with the murraya, frangipani and night-scented jessamine, which I haven't photographed, all in competion for the most heavenly scent.

The bromeliad above is Achmea 'Burning Bush' is just coming into flower, as is the ixora 'Pink Malay'

This beautiful flower is a Globba 'Red Back', a member of the ginger family, and I have another small golden globba that should be in bloom in time for next bloom day.

Firespike Odontonemea strictum

The daylilies are slowly coming to an end but have put on a fine show.

'Spacecoast Whiteout'

'Ash Rosie'

'Mr Lucky'

'Just A Tease'

I was thrilled to see my waterlily has made a recovery after a major decline last year. Unfortunately, I often miss the flowers because they haven't come out when I duck down early to feed the goldfish and have closed up again by the time I'm home from work.

I hadn't realised these two bromeliads were related until I noticed the similarity in the flowers.

This lovely canna is a very welcome refugee from my neighbour's yard.

Finally, along the driveway all the spider lilies Hymenocallis littoralis are out and looking spectacular.

That's the last garden blogger's bloom day for our summer here  in Australia. I'm hoping to order a few spring bulbs later today and am eagerly anticipating the arrival of blooms on dahlias.  To see more of what is blooming in gardens around the world, visit Carole at May Dreams Gardens.