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.