Category: gardening

Australian Admiral Butterfly

October 20, 2020

This is a Yellow Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa itea). Also known as Australian Admiral Butterfly. South Eastern Australia. Apparently it really like stinging nettles and I have plenty of them, popping up in my garden and growing profusely between the paddocks of lucerne. It is not an uncommon butterfly.

Knowing nothing about butterflies, I was a little perplexed because I couldn’t see how this could be a ‘yellow’ admiral butterfly. I couldn’t see any yellow at all. They mystery was solved by a visit to the ‘net. What you see here is the underside of the wing. The butterfly looks totally different when its wings are down. Click here to see.

Isn’t nature wonderful?

Val’s Garden

October 19, 2020

Val loves these really colorful Peruvian lilies, More correctly they are Alstroemeria, a genus of flowering plants in the family Alstroemeriaceae. They are also known as Lily of the Incas. These photos were taken just as the rain started.

For Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

Blooming Irises

October 18, 2020

My irises are out in all their glory. This little patch are all the same.

These two have decided to mix it up a bit. They are hanging out in another part of the garden.

These yellow ones are also quite striking.

This one though is a little shy.

This more intensely colored one is a water iris. I saved some seed from some wild ones in the creek, and now they perpetuate themselves quite willingly.

These little guys look like they want to call it a day.

Also for Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

Visit to Val’s

October 17, 2020

Today I visited a lovely garden in Cohuna, a nearby town. In a corner I noticed a tiny flash of red. Val informed me I was looking at a Queensland firewheel tree, Stenocarpus Sinuatis. It was growing a very long way from Queensland, and certainly not anywhere near a rainforest. I was taken by what was remaining of the firewheel flower. The flower, as its name suggests is shaped like a wheel.

For some reason these pics remind me of a spider dangling on a web string. I feel a little uncomfortable. If you search up a pic of the tree actually flowering, (click here) it looks very different when there are lots more wheels,

I also thought the seeds were worthy of a photo. I was all for bringing a few back home and trying to raise them in my glasshouse until Val said it takes a very long time, at least 7 years, before a tree produces any flowers.

I will have to remember to go back and get a photo when the tree has more flowers next year.

Also for Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

Elm Tree Nursery

October 11, 2020

Some more images of flowers taken at my visit to the Nursery. This one below was rather large and also rather metallic!

This one was just perfect. Much more delicate than its neighbour above.

Also very delicate. I love the shades of purple in this one.

Look what was peeking out in the shade, through the shrimp plant. I’m not sure what this flower is, but I doubt its chance of survival in my sunny garden.

And this Abutilon, (chinese lantern) came home with me.

Thank you Christine. I’m looking forward to my next visit.