Saturday 19 August 2023

What's growing in Winter

Just a few flowers of what's growing in the winter time in my part of the world, Tasmania. 
Have no idea what the flower is below, it looks like a lily which I found growing in the bush at Hollybank.



Camellia hedge growing up the side of the house.
Leucadendron a native of South Africa growing up the back.



It seems amazing but this lavender has been flowering all winter.
Rose Hips before the weeping rose was pruned.



Came across the creature near the supermarket, there is a small creek that runs near and a golf course on the other side of the creek so hence ducks and so on. 
The vase contains Nandina leaves.  Nandina Domestica Nana is a short growing shrub where we have a taller one.  Nandina can be invasive in some States of Australia however that doesn't apply here in Tasmania.  It's also known as Heavenly Bamboo, Sacred Bamboo.



We went for a drive yesterday in the bush.  I took my Audi for a long drive actually as it's not been out of the garage for awhile and I do need to keep up my driving practice.
This yellow is Gorse was just everywhere on the hills. Took the photo from inside the vehicle as I was parked on a corner so the shot had to be a quick one.  
Gorse is a Native to Europe, it's dense thorny shrub that is now a major agricultural week in Tasmania and parts of Victoria.  It's one of the worst weeds because of its invasiveness, potential for spread, and economic and environmental impacts.
Gorse was introduced to Tasmania, Australia as a hedge and fodder shrub and came into our land about 1803 and later to Tasmania.  Even the early settlers didn't always get it right!

63 comments:

  1. Σε ευχαριστώ Margaret για την επίσκεψη σου στο blog μου
    και για τα πολύ καλά σου λόγια
    Ένα υπέροχο απόγευμα με πολλές όμορφες στιγμές
    Μια Γλυκιά Καληνύχτα μέσα από την καρδιά μου,
    Πολλές ευχές για ένα όμορφο ξημέρωμα Σαββάτου
    με Υγεία Χαρά Αγάπη Θετικές Σκέψεις
    και αισιοδοξία πως η αυριανή μέρα θα είναι ξεχωριστή για σένα

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  2. Beautiful flowers, I especially loved the first flower, how spectacular!
    It's a shame the gorse is invasive because it gives color to the place where it is found.

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    1. Thank you Maria. I expect a bird dropped a bulb there for the lily to grow.
      A mass of colour is that gorse, the photo doesn't do it justice. It is a pity it's invasive.

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  3. Quite an interesting post. Very informative. Your bouquet is gorgeous.

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    1. Thanks Catarina, thought I would do something different for a change :)

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  4. Margaret, is it true that gorse (Bach flowers) is the remedy for people who have given up and lost hope?

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    1. I didn't know that Norma but I looked it up in English so I do hope it translates well for you.
      'Gorse is for extreme helplessness and despair, for people who have given up the fight. They feel that there is no light at the end of the tunnel and have lost all hope. They may believe that their illness is hereditary and therefore incurable. They feel condemned to pain and suffering and do not try to get better.'
      A link to the Bach Centre: https://www.bachcentre.com/en/remedies/the-38-remedies/quick-reference-guide/

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  5. Pretty flowers. We have lots of gorse here and the last few years some big gorse fires.

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    1. Gosh, hopefully the fires were not to damaging to humans and animals. Often I've seen gorse burning down here trying to get rid of it but not in the summer time.

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  6. Your flower photos are a feast to the eyes!

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  7. Buenas imágenes has conseguido. Me alegro de que te lo pases bien.
    Un abrazo

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  8. These flowers are so beautiful! Is winter in Tasmania very mild?

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    1. Thank you Angie. We have a temperate climate by which we have 4 distinctive seasons. We have a little snow on the mountains in winter sometimes, it disappears very quickly though. Summer can be warm to hot the hottest day being 42Deg C one year, we don't have a long summer. Not so far :)

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  9. It is comforting to see those beautiful flowers and those gardens, here in the middle of the fourth wave of summer heat honestly does not feel like painting or anything just waiting as comfortable as possible for them to pass and return to normal temperatures within the summer.
    Best regards

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    1. Oh I can only image how hot it would be, I've been in hot/tropical climate in the summer time and it was hard to get motivated to do anything really.
      Keep cool, and I'm sure you are drinking plenty to help you cope.
      Take care.

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  10. A lovely selection, many of which are blooming here. No gorse though. Thankfully.

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    1. Thank you EC. I could have done Sunday selections, never thought.

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  11. Some beautiful flowers, sometimes it is hard to imagine such beauty when it is so bloody cold but there they are

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    1. That's true Jo-Anne, though I don't find the cold freezing, nor do I find the heat exhausting guess I'm fortunate in that way. I do get cold if there is a cold wind though.

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  12. A beautiful selection of flowers and plants. Gorgeous sceneries too.

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  13. Is the first flower a nerine (lily)? It grows from a bulb.
    I always associate nandina with the '80s where it was rather overused at times.
    Gorse seems to really like your climate.

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    1. It's not a nerine as nerines have more spiky type heads..lol.
      I kind of guessing here but maybe a bird dropped a bulb of whatever it is in the first photo, as there were just a couple of the flowers there.
      Nandina's were very popular especially the little ones way back in time, they withstood the frosts and cold along with the heat. The colder it was the redder the leaves, however, ours is a taller varieties and fills in a gap near
      one of the weeping standard roses.
      Gorse sure does like out climate and some landowners just let it grow so hence the spread...hopefully they will clean it up soon.

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  14. Beautiful flowers, and a very exotic Muscovy Duck.

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  15. What great flower photos.
    The first picture I think this is a lily species, the Amacrinum.
    Here the weather is very very hot, me and not happy with such hot days.
    I wish you a very good weekend.
    Greetings Irma

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    1. The lily does look like the variety you mentioned Irma.
      Keep cool in your hot , hot weather - autumn for you will soon be on it's way.

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  16. Thank you dear Margaret for delightful sharing: )
    Loved all the utterly pretty blooms growing in your surroundings!
    Each flower is gorgeous and treat for soul no doubt: )
    The shrub in your house is dense and huge but beautiful indeed.
    The duck is really lovely
    Best of luck for driving my friend
    Hugs

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    1. Thank you Baili. The hedge up the side of the house gets trimmed every couple of years so it doesn't grow too tall, the hedge helps with privacy for us and our neighbours as they have 3 windows facing.

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  17. The first pink flower is very pretty and it does resemble a lily. I have found that lilies move around our garden of their own accord and I have no idea how they do. May be it is the birds, but sometimes the bulbs are too big for them to carry - walking lilies are a bit of a mystery.

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    1. I will go along with you on with builds moving as we have some out the front that we didn't plant there...a good word for them - walking bulbs.

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  18. I have that same Nandina trying to grow, in my back yard. Tough and hot Summer here in Texas. Unbelievable that it's Winter there!
    Happy weekend!
    hugs
    Donna

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    1. Good luck growing the Nandina a bit difficult with such hot weather you are having. Yes, it's still winter! Spring soon.

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  19. With all the native beauty in Tasmania, humans still had to bring alien species, didn’t they? There is no limited to our stupidity. Invasive species are heavily implicated in the devastating fires on Maui.

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    1. Those species were brought into the country mostly in the 1800's from various English places I expect David, those people back then had no idea that some of the plants they brought would become invasive.
      Saw the fires on Maui on our TV, just dreadful, and also in your country too.

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  20. Your camellia is beautiful and is the flower I would most want. But every Friday evening we fill up a vase with Nandina leaves and place it in the centre of the only elegant dinner each week - a crisp table cloth, silver cutlery and silver candlesticks.

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    1. Thank you Hels.
      Oh I bet that table looks magnificent, love to see it. I too have silver candelabras x 2 one is mine the other belonged to my late mother. The nandina does look wonderful in a vase as it has several colours, yet subtle.

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  21. Nice post
    Nice flower
    I follow your beautiful blog
    Greetings from Indonesia 😉

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  22. The flowers are beautiful, and the Duck,,fabulous..

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    1. Thanks Bob, I hadn't seen that duck there before, it's a new one to me.

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  23. Your flowers are gorgeous! I have never seen a Leucadendron before. It looks very exotic! Your vase of Nandina leaves makes a beautiful table centerpiece. The duck I have seen here too. They are very interesting looking. I remember the gorse all over Dartmoor back in Devon. Good intentions when those early settlers brought in plants and animals from their homelands I suppose, but as we all know now, many things had devastating effects. People just weren't aware back in those days. Lovely post Margaret!

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    1. Thank you Denise.You are correct, people way back then didn't know and wouldn't not of had the know how either when bringing plants to Australia.

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  24. Unas flores preciosas Margaret, me encantó tu paseo. Un abrazo.

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  25. Love the gorgeous flowers, Margaret.
    And you've captured them beautifully.

    Hugs and blessings

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  26. Your flower photographs are lovely to see.

    All the best Jan

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