Gardenia

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The hedge of Gardenias sits along a very smelly walk in the college. Perhaps the sewerage pipes are around here. In any case at times there is an odd smell emanating from something near here.

We have watched as the Gardenia hedge sprung forth with Spring growth, and watched as the buds formed. And then it happened. One Monday morning as I was passing on my way to class I saw the first buds. There were two that had opened up.

Within days there was a mass of blooms and the delicate aroma, the sweet delicate fragrance of the Gardenia filled our nostrils as we passed by. Late in the afternoon and early evening is best as the air is filled with this fragrance.

The flowers attract many students who pick the flowers - they don't live long, but I am sure the fragrance in the dormitories is most appreciated.

The Rose Garden

The miniature roses.

The rose garden (April and May)

When we came to Shaoxing at the end of February, the area had experienced a cold winter, and it had snowed here. One of the gardens near the apartment building that houses many of the foreign teachers, there was a garden that seemed to have a large number of dried sticks about 5 inches high in it. On closer inspection you could see it was a bed of roses.

I don't think in Australia we would have pruned them back so much - but things are different here.

The top photo was taken on April 17 th, as foliage was beginning to sprout on the plants. The second photo was taken just last week.

What a difference a few weeks makes in such a garden. Also on the school campus is an area near one of the other buildings where there is a bed of what I now discover is miniature roses and they too are in full bloom right now.

Iris

On our visit to a park at Tonglu (Southern China) the gardens impressed us, especially the display of irises. Actually there were only a few blooming - but many many more plants ready to burst forth in flower. These were growing at the edge of a pool in which many colourful and large fish were swimming making it a very wonderful scene.

Tea Plantations

I had never seen Tea Plantations close up before and the first time was at Houshan when we climbed the mountain to the Temple.

We walked through the rows of tea growing and noticed folk picking leaves possibly for their own use.

Since then I have seen many tea plantations between Shaoxing and Hangzhou in particular. They are on many hills around these areas, as no doubt they are in many areas of China.

Sweet Magnolia

Spring is certainly the best time to visit China - as all the trees and plants that have been in hibernation for winter come to life. The blossoms of all the flowering trees make such a change to what was a very bland landscape and it is no wonder the Chinese people cherish their gardens so much.

In the streets and in parks the Magnolias burst into bloom - there were white ones, and pink ones and small flowers and large flowers.

I had never seen so many Magnolias in flower all at once.

Flowers in China

The Chinese people so love gardens - most of course don't have much in the way of gardens around their homes, unless they live in a newer modern complex where the gardens are likely to be a feature, or if they live in the country their "garden" is full of vegetables.

When we arrived in China it was just after the very cold winter of 2007/8 and the plants were all brown and bare, but as spring approached it all changed.

These photos are from a park in Ningbo, South China.

What is this?

I don't know what this is - but found it in the garden near the house of my housesit.

It is a very attractive flower but does not last long - and the flower very quickly falls to the ground.