Miniature Roses

There are thousands of varieties of roses. These are miniature roses grown in a pot. You can see the change of colour as the flower matures. There's yellow in the centre when the bloom first opens and it fades to white or dark pink as time goes by.

The stunning foliage of Crotons

There are many varieties of Crotons- the variety of colours and shapes in their foliage is what appeals to all. They are easy to grow from a cutting - in fact simply cut off a stem of the plant and place in a container of water, and it will quickly grow roots and be ready to plant in a pot or in the garden.

Gerbera Photos

This photo is of one of our Gerbera's. I used my Nikon camera, and used the close up feature, and zoom to get this shot. I am waiting for a new camera - again a Nikon, but somewhat better than the current one I use.

More flowers at Lagoon Pocket B and B

These are just some of the flowers in and around the Lagoon Pocket Bed and Breakfast, Long Pocket, just south of Gympie Queensland.

Some flowers in the garden or fields at Lagoon Pocket

These are I think called "Storm Crocus" which seem to appear after storms. I didn't know they were "native" to Australia, and perhaps they are not but they seem to be on many properties south of Gympie.

The dry weather suits some flowers

We have noticed this summer that so many trees and plants are exhibiting fabulous blooms. The weather has been very dry for this time of the year and some of the trees seem to revel in the dry.

One such flower that is abundant in these parts is the bougainvillea - and I've managed to capture some brilliant purple flowers that are blooming at my son's house on the Gold Coast. The bush is somewhat uncontrolled and sends it's branches all over a slope in the garden, with brilliant green leaves and the dramatic purple flowers.

Enjoy.

Peony

The peony is a flower that I know little about, but a florist friend gave one to me. It is a beautiful hot pink - lovely flower that lead me to investigate details of the peony.

The florist has suggested that we grow peonies. I will investigate it, but I am not keen to grow further flowers. I'm all over it.

More roses - at church.

Though it was Sunday, I didn't "go" to church - but I did take my grandson for a play in the park right beside the church that I workshipped at years ago in Adelaide.

I remember when the church opened when I was a little girl - a long time ago. We lived not far away and would generally walk to church each Sunday morning. I remember visiting the church in the last few years - it is smaller than I remember it.

It is called St Elizabeth's after St Elizabeth of Hungary. I probably remembered once why it was named that but I don't recall now. They have a spectacular garden which features roses. The water for the garden is collected underground from the car park,so that always the gardens are a picture. Even through the drought period. The old church has some additional buildings to it now - quite different to what it was when it was built.

Funny, it is almost opposite a spectacular Hindu temple - slightly weird in suburban Adelaide.

Roses - are they the best ever?

Adelaide, like much of Australia is still suffering from lack of rain. But that suits roses! And in the suburbs of Adelaide I saw some of the most spectacular rose displays I've seen for a long time.

They were amazing.

Brilliant colours - in fact quite a few flower species are obviously enjoyign the lack of rain in Adelaide.

Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks - these are flowers that we don't see much in subtropical Brisbane - but I found a few wonderful specimens in Adelaide. I've just visited with my grandson. I found time to take a few photos.

One day I walked to the Westfield Marion Shopping Centre and on the way found a garden with Hollyhocks. I just had to take the photo.

Picking at Gough Hill Farm

This photo is of the busy work room at Gough Hill Farm - a Gerbera farm in Brisbane Australia. It was taken during one of our very busy periods - when the Spring Flush occurred and we were picking record numbers (for us) of flowers.

It was all hands on deck as we prepared the thousands of flowers for the florists in the area.

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Gerberas

This is one of the very popular colours of Gerberas and most growers here in Australia feature them. This one is called Monarch.

Right this minute (November 1st, 2007) the Gough Hill Gerbera farm is struggling - as Rutherglen and other bugs create havoc and seem resistant to all the sprays that normally kill them.

Maraya (Mock Orange)

The leaves (greenery) of the maraya is very popular with florists. The small leaves are a brilliant green and quite shiney, and they do enhance the look of many arrangements.

The delicate white flower has a wonderful fragrance and in the early evening the air is filled with the fragrance, which I find very pleasant. However, many people get hay fever when the flowers are in bloom, and as they are very popular garden plant, I have some sympathy for folks who find them troublesome.

It doesn't help that the flowers bloom for many months of the year.

Hippeastrums

I remember that 12 months ago when I was house sitting at Manly, the hippeastrums were flourishing and they are doing so again this year. Perhaps the dry weather has helped them. In my garden some have just started blooming, but others where I don't get to water are not blooming and there's hardly any evidence that the plants are still alive.

Beauty

I'm going to have to do a little research on this flower which is in my garden. I've had several of these plants that throw up wonderful strong long leaves that I sometimes use in flower arrangements. I think most folk grow them for the leaves, but they have a lovely flower.

One of my plants (which is in a pot) has never flowered but this one is in a garden and occasionally throws up this beautiful flower.

It is spring and lots of plants are flowering at the moment, and many native flowers are doing extremely well with blooms - perhaps because of the long dry that we have had.

I've not seen these in any florist, so I don't know how they go as a cut flower.

Grevillea

The Grevillea is a popular Australian native flower in Australian gardens. It is popular for the unusual flowers that bloom, and for the fact that the tree is popular with birds and butterflies.

On the left is a close up view of the strange flower, and the leaves.

Orchid Flower

A tree which is common in gardens around Brisbane is the orchid tree - which during spring and other times of the year blooms with this exotic looking flower. It is not a true orchid of course - and it's name is really bauhinia.

There are differing colours - some trees are pink, and this one has more of a purple flower. They produce flowers prolifically and when the flowers die off there is a carpet of spent petals on the ground below the tree.

Arum Lillies

We don't see many lillies like this up here in Queensland - they are about and in some gardens particularly in the Gold Coast, or Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and florists who are a little more creative will use them.

My sister is a florist in Adelaide and though she is not working with fresh flowers at the moment (more with silk flowers), her friend called in with a lovely bunch of these when I was in Adelaide last week (early August 07).

The Adelaide Markets

One of my special visits when I am in Adelaide - is to visit the Adelaide markets. They are quite historic and I don't think have changed much in all the years I've known them.

When I was a child, my parents would not have visited the markets - as this is where the Italians and Greeks sold their wares - from strange gourmet foods, to the fresh fruit and vegetables that were grown in the many market gardens around the city. It certainly wasn't "trendy" as it has been for quite a few years.

The fruit and vegetables are the freshest, there are fish marekts, butchers, bakers, mushroom growers, gourmet food producers, wine cellar, and of course fresh flowers to be purchased at the markets.

I always like to see the flowers as there are often flowers there that we do not see here in Brisbane.

One flower that I noticed was Iceland Poppies - I've certainly never seen them in the florist shops in Brisbane.

Blossom

I've just been in Adelaide to visit the folks, and found more opportunities to take some photographs for this blog. One thing I remember well from my childhood is the almond blossom in Spring. It was a big area for almond growing - but sadly many of the almond growing areas have been turned into houseing estates.


I didn't get to take a photo of almond blossom - there was some around and as we went to Willunga - which is more vineyards than almonds no - the opportunity just didn't arise.


The blossom in this photograph is probably prunus - or a plum tree which was growing in the front yard of someone's home near Oaklands Park. It certainly brought back memories as when we were children we had an array of fruit trees growing in the back yard, and I do remember well the plums, apricots, peaches, and especially the two almond trees that sprung to life each spring with their blossom.

Arum lily

I remember these growing in the garden at home when I was growing up in Adelaide. My mother did put flowers in the house - but I don't recall having these in the house. I think they are more popular as an indoor flower with rather modern florists. I might be wrong.

We don't see them very much around Brisbane - but I know they grow well in the hinterland - Mt Tamborine, or Sunshine Coast areas.

Agave

These plants are wonderful. Brilliant green that seem to grow well without much water. They can grow quite big and also often have "pups" growing on the main stem, which can be carefully pulled off and planted, and soon they will be as bit as the "mother" plant.


These are becoming more popular - especially in our drought. This one is growing in my sister's garden in Adelaide, South Australia.

The Banksia

The banksia is a native flower of Australia and is quite common in most areas. It is a popular garden plant for those folk who enjoy growing and promoting native gardens.
There are about 71 species of banksia's.

Some have been featured in Australian children's books as "the banksia man" character.

This plant is flowering at the Port of Brisbane Visitors Centre.

Kangaroo Paw

The Kangaroo Paw plant is native to Western Australia, but nowdays the plant is available and flourishes well in other parts of Australia. It is seen very much in dry gardens - gardens that don't need a lot of water.

This plant is flourishing near the Port of Brisbane Visitors Centre.

Japanese Gardens

At the Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens is a wonderful Japanese Garden. It is not permitted to take photos inside the gardens, however, this photo was taken outside the entrance of the gardens.

It is mid winter and with the drought many of the plants are looking stressed. Azalias are in bloom throughout the garden and they certainly create a wonderful picture.

Bonsai Camelia

This is an exquisite bloom of Camelia in the Bonsai section of the Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens in Brisbane Queensland. The display here is awesome with some extra ordinary exhibits of Bonsai, some dating back to 1941.

Camelia, weeping fig, azalea, are some of the plants featured in this section of the garden.

Bonsai at Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens

There is an amazing collection of Bonsai in the Botanical Gardens - I'll add some of the photos over the next few days.



Some of them were in flower - just like this azalea. Wonderful exhibits and some date back to 1941.

Bamboo

Not exactly blooms - but quite spectacular in a garden are some of these interesting bamboo plants. Once upon a time most of the bamboos would take over the garden, but these days there are some more varieties that are clumping and do not get out of control.

A bucket of gerberas

These are just picked gerberas. We pick them - pluck them really as no cutting implement is used to pick them. We do then cut about 1/2 an inch from the bottom of each stem, and put them in buckets of fresh water. They are carried into the work room and then each flower is checked, and placed in a plastic "cup", then we make up "bunches" of five flowers of the same colour, place two rubber bands on the stems to hold them firmly, and put in a bucket with special product to preserve the flowers. When counted they are placed in the cold room, ready for delivery to the florists on delivery day.

Two orchids

These orchids have been flowering for a few weeks already. The one's I gave my sone flowered a few weeks earlier than mine.

Another blooming star.

This is one of our favourite flowers and also one that is very popular with florists and their customers. The pink and white together lends itself to use in a range of different floral arrangements. Everybody loves it. As well, it is a consistent bloomer with strong straight stems. Wonderful flower.

Cosmo

This is a lovely yellow gerbera. It blooms well with strong straight stems and seems to flower all year round - only minor issue with the flower is that sometimes the petals drop out. It is one of our consistent bloomers.

Pink Gerberas

This flower is one of our most prolific and consistent bloomers at Gough Hill Farm. Enjoy.

Another Rose

This rose is also in the front garden of my parent's home.

Rose Bloom

This rose is one in my parent's garden. They have a small garden now, but some beautiful roses and camelias.

Camelia

A camelia plant grows in the patio at my parent's home in Adelaide, and it is in full bloom right now. It has wonderful large white flowers and this photo was taken late in May 2007. I'm thrilled with it - as I don't oftent have success with close ups.

My favourite gerberas

Having our own gerbera farm has its special benefits. I love picking the flowers. These are some from my regular picking patch. I love the unusual pinky/orange colour and they tend to have consistently good blooms.