A camera in the garden
The hectic colour of spring in the garden is over for this season, but there's still much to see and enjoy. So it was that my camera took me walkabout yesterday to capture what's flowering now. Many of the plants are beginning to seed and are providing food for a variety of birds, some of which are beginning their annual "fattening up" for the long migration trip that's looming.
The first port of call was the water feature which sports at least four water plants. The showiest is the one I can't identify, but it got its picture taken anyway. The name can come later once I've consulted the experts.
One of our few summer-flowering aloes, the Cooper's Aloe, is at its best, and along with the Aloe striatula, is providing an almost endless supply of nectar for the sunbirds
Cooper's Aloe
Aloe striatula
Next to call attention to itself was the Purple Bells (Dyschoriste thunbergiiflora) bush that sports the most delicate of flowers in clumps among the dense leaves. This seems to be Terri's favourite shrub in the entire garden, and with good reason.
Just across the lawn from that beauty is the Pistol Bush (Duvernoia adhatodoides) so named because its ripe seed pods burst open with a loud cracking sound, although we have yet to hear one doing that. This flower, also, is just so subtle and delicate.
The Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata,) Falling Stars (Crocosmia aurea) and ripe seed pods of the Arum Lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) added all the oranges and yellows to the mix, with the Dark-capped Bulbuls competing endlessly for the Arum seeds
With all this around them, our next generation was quietly getting on with the job of growing. These are Flat-crown Trees (Albizia adianthifolia) which will eventually reach a height of up to 25 meters, but not in our garden, of course.
While Terri was slaving away at weeding and I was trying to control my camera, Maggie the Dalmatian was barking at everything that dared to move in Wylie Park, and Sandi turned out to be the only one with any sense at all.
Keep well, everyone. I'll have more to show you soon.
Comments
Beauty is everywhere - Thank you for more incredible pictures. My favourite (apart from Sandi, of course) is the very first one of the water feature flowers. It is so easy to forget how much beauty is around us. Thank you for the reminder that even here in the grey UK (where many of those fattened birds will soon be heading) there is so much to see. Something I must keep pointing out to those girls of mine.
It's a very happy blog!!! - Just loved seeing beautiful pictures of the plants in your garden.When i was (a lot)younger i remember planting seeds of black eyed susan at home.....only because my big sis was called Susan...They grew and climbed like wildfire must have been the North East air!!! We also grow "falling stars" here.......they survive really well until the dogs decide that they grow in the path of their 'run' then they get destroyed!!!!! Great to see your beautiful pictures Doug and Derryk
Flowers - And I took the cheat's way out and bought a little pot of ready planted mini daffodils. I expect they will flower fairly soon (they live on the kitchen window ledge) and then I will send you some pictures. I also bought some Lily Stargazers which I have asked Joely, Ella and Jess to plant in the garden for me tomorrow. Hopefully those will flower and should take a great picture. All we will need then is a great picture taker! Are you free?
Beauty Captured - What a lovely belated trip through your garden. A really good place for a camera to be.