During the afternoon, clouds above Mount Warning looked for all the world like billowing smoke erupting from the top of the mountain. Then again, it could have been steam …
This morning we had mist, so thick at times that I couldn’t see the garden at all. ‘Twas a dilemma – who knew if we should expect sun or rain?
When the sun finally appeared, the mist, the angle of the sun, humidity in the air – who knows what contributed to the effect – lit up my front garden with an eeriness that I have never seen before.
Suspended droplets of mists danced across the sunbeams, while the same sunbeams lit up spider’s webs by the dozen!
I had no idea that so many eight-legged creatures lived in my garden. Not that I saw the residents, but their homes glistened wherever the sunbeams landed.
More rain is predicted for tomorrow, so when the day began to cloud over again this afternoon, I dashed out with my camera to take a few photos before the predicted deluge begins.
Around the garden, the tibouchina plants look very lovely. I realised today that I have three different varieties of tibouchina growing, now if only I knew their specific names I could share that information as well!
The white flowered tibouchina, above, is a low growing shrub. It’s growing in a pot, and this autumn it seems to be growing much faster, and flowering more profusely, than the past two years.
I seem to remember when I bought the tibouchina above, which is another low growing shrub, the label told me it is a native tibouchina. I’m not sure where it’s native to though, as tibouchina plants are not native to Australia! They do thrive in our climate though.
My purple flowering tibouchina is a small tree, situated just outside my front door. The tree is constantly flowering, but there are always more flowers during autumn than the other seasons. When I looked up the name for purple tibouchias there were several varieties which all looked the same to me. One purple tibouchina was called “Jazzy,” and just because I think tibouchina flowers are very jazzy, that’s what I will call my tree, unless I learn that it’s called something else. 😉
After a few days of rain, the sun returned today. Occasionally it disappears behind a cloud, but for the most part, the day has been sunny, but cool.
The light today is ideal for taking photos, so I took advantage of the day and photographed a shady area in my back garden. Husband built this retaining wall from volcanic rocks – our soil is full of them! – many years ago. I love the “aged” look the rocks have now, even though they would have been tens of thousands of years old when the wall was built. They seem to have melded into their surroundings over the years.
The wall faces south, our cool aspect, and moss happily clings to the rocks all year round. We also have a few plants growing amid the moss and rocks, although we didn’t plant them. Maybe birds have dropped seeds in the ideal place for these lovely plants to germinate.
I suspect some of the plants are staghorns, and others elkorns, but I don’t know for sure. Regardless, they look very much at home where they are.
These tiny plants seem to be growing in the moss, rather than in the gaps between the rocks. Only time will tell if their position is secure, or if their increased weight as they grow will cause them to fall.
Can you see the movement in Bronte’s tail? She was a very happy girl when she found her missing yellow ball. 🙂
Just a few steps away from the moss covered retaining wall is another small retaining wall, also built by husband many years ago. This is where the oldest camellia tree in my garden is in full bloom.
And beneath the tree, beautifully contrasted against the green grass, is a carpet of pretty pink petals.
Right next to the camellia is the shadiest corner of my garden. This area is the coolest place in my garden during our hot summer months. Even though it is shady for most of the day, all year round, the agapanthus always flower late in the year, just before the hottest days of summer arrive.
For now though, I am enjoying the cool sunny autumn days in my garden. 🙂
What a wonderful day I have had! I spent all day in the garden and achieved so much, and tonight my body is aching from head to toe in the most blissful way that only an avid gardener can fully understand. 🙂
At lunch time I took a break on the back veranda, and while eating lunch I spied a kookaburra, sitting, of course, in an old gum tree. After I had eaten, my camera and I took a walk down the back to take a closer look.
The gum tree he is sitting in is old – it was on our land when we built the house – so is older than twenty-seven years. This little guy is definitely doing the children’s song justice.
While I was down there admiring my lovely feathered friend, I also took a photo of Mount Warning. It was looking a tad hazy today, but still relatively clear and very beautiful.
I may not be able to move tomorrow, but even if my aches and pains get worse than they already are, it was all worth it. Maybe now we are not having as much rain, I will be able to get out into the garden more often. ❤
Today it has felt like winter may be on its way. Even though the days have been cooler, I haven’t felt like cuddling up under a warm blanket at my desk while studying yet, which is something I often do during winter.
The sky turned a subtle shade of orange at sunset, looking very pretty, although not as dramatic as yesterday’s sunset. If you missed it, it’s worth taking a minute to go back to yesterday’s entry to take a look at when the sky and clouds put on an breathtakingly dramatic display.
The cooler weather hasn’t stopped my summer flowers from blooming yet. I noticed today there are a few new hibiscus on the hedge beside the pool.
On Monday, I gave my potted fuchsia a light prune, making sure I left a few unopened buds on the plant – just in case … and as you can see, they are already in bloom! Perhaps not growing as vigorously or as luscious looking as during the summer months, but still very lovely and much appreciated.
During the weekend, I plan on doing some more pruning around the garden. It’s that time of year for us here in Australia after all. 🙂
In My World 