Northern Hemisphere in October

Orange trees in Marrakesh.

Alhambra garden in Granada, Spain

Alcazar garden in Seville.

The light was bright and each garden was a welcome oasis

First day of spring, 1 September

Wattle Day is the first day of Spring in Australia. There are lots of species of wattle or acacia. Many kinds are in bloom today. Wattle is also our national flower emblem.

Magnificent Magnolias

August in Sydney is the time of magnolias blooming. the magnificence of their flowering is enhanced by the flowers being on bare stems. After the flowers fall, the leaves sprout.

Eucalyptus Sydney Blue gum

This magnificent tree has been able to grow unimpeded for space and shows the true spread of branches for the species. It is located  in North Sydney in the Ku-ring-gai National Park at Kalkari visitors centre near Bobbin Head.

Textured garden

An artist's garden. My friend likes to have plants with texture or variegations, shrubs of different colours  and a variety of heights. This garden looks like a painting.

Leopard Tree

This Leopard tree is in a neighbour's yard. The photo only shows the bark, that gives the tree its name. It has a lovely canopy of fine leaves. It is a tree from Brazil and has yellow flowers and is supposed to be deciduous but we have mild winters and it has not lost any leaves yet.
BBright yellow flowers held on the ends of stems, bark is a dappled grey through brown, giving the tree the appearance of a leopard, hence the name. Develops relatively large shiny seed pods

Autumn colours

Liquid Ambers, Ginkoes and bins in colours to reflect the trees.

At the end of May the colours are ending. These Pistachio chinensis are kept as multi stemmed shrubs

Winter is wet

This beautiful fungus looks like white flowers from a distance. It grows on rotting wood in the bush near us. The incredible amount of rain has softened the wood and the warmth has allowed the growth. Our temperature range is 7° to 19°  centigrade

Bonsai and Bilby

 A prize winning bonsai at the Castle Hill show. Skill, care artistry in this miniature forest.

This bilby is here because he is the cutest photo I took this day. It is hard to find a plant with this much appeal. Taken at Featherdale in Sydney.

Murraya and gum tree

Murraya

It is autumn and the days are getting shorter. There are many plants in bloom including the highly perfumed Murraya. Tibouchina, camellias with their small flowers and my African gardenia tree.
The fruit of the Tamarillo is ready for picking.

Camellia

Pandanus at Noosa

We have just returned from Noosa, Queensland. This Pandanus is at the ocean edge at The Boiling Pot, a bay on the walk in the National Park at Noosa. Raimund took the photo with the light highlighting the tree trunk and showing the basalt below. Noosa is a magic place. This is autumn and look at the light!

New Zealand Flax

Flax with multi coloured leaves would be ideal basket making fibre.

Bird feeder enhances garden

A delicate bird feeder shows off the rows of trees in this Mittagong garden

Uses of plants

Sharkchic made this beautifully coloured one. Mittagong 19 20 February Sturt Gallery

Yucca

In a February heat wave the Yuccas sent up these magnificent inflorescences.

Liriope

 Liriopes look like little purple soldiers, all standing to attention. they grow really well under trees and look impressive one month after summer solstice

Crown of gold tree

This Barklya syringifolia is growing in Turramurra in Sydney, a long way from the heat of Brisbane where it is more commonly seen. The flowering is coming to an end in late January. It is in a warm protected courtyard.

Wavy white bracts

The white bracts wave around in the wind and say to pollinators, 'come over here'. On these hot summer days this Mussaenda flutters in the welcome breeze with a wave to our friends in the UK.

Summer, hot and humid

This yellow flower grows prolifically and is there to attract pollinators

The lemon tree is developing fruit

Curcubits have their flowers. How long till fruit develops.