Anthurium, native Maiden Hair fern and a mixture of Calla lillies; Lilli Pilli with pale green fruits; strappy leaves of Cardamon Ginger and Thalia, a water plant; gray-green foliage of Coastal Rosemary andCorrea Alba; variegated foliage of Prostanthera Ovafolia; new growth tips from Backhousia Myrtifolia and Backhousia Citriodora which has a beautiful lemon scent, the lemon oil from its leaves is used for most perfumes and other commercial products where a lemon fragrance is required. Most of these leaves have their own special fragrance which is evident when you brush past them or the sunshine warms the oils and the scent is released...absolutely heavenly. ♥
A closer view of a vase containing native Maiden Hair fern which grows prolifically in shady spots in my garden, white plumbago blossoms, new growth from calistemon and a native vine, name unknown.
White flowering Anthurium otherwise known as Flamingo Flower...I havent removed the spent blooms as they have their own special beauty.
The warm glow and ambience from an aromatherapy candle...always romantic...
Hakea Salicifolia
Curious Bobcat with his beautiful green eyes, partially obscured by a green leaf...he is my floral assistant and advisor...he loves to help his Mummy. :-)
I didnt go for a walk today as it has been raining heavily on and off but it is very welcome, my garden loves it.
I have also overdone it with the walking and climbing over uneven rocks and have managed to flare up a painful knee injury from a fall I had about two years ago...I need to have surgery as I have done quite some damage...I hope to have that attended to sooner rather than later.
This was a comedy of errors, a French farce, call me Clousseau...it should have been filmed and put on youTube or Funniest Home videos, I can laugh about it now but it wasn't funny at the time. :-)
It was winter time and I was sitting on the sofa in the living room enjoying a hot cup of tea, the phone rang and I got up too quickly to answer it, tripped over, went lurching across the room... aerial ballet, tried to break my fall with my right knee...big mistake, landed with my ample boobs right on the electric heater which luckily had an automatic cut off switch, thank goodness as I was laying straight on it, went for a slide on the heater across the slippery floor and spilt hot tea all over myself.
Oh boy did it hurt, I couldn't move for a few moments and then I tried to get up, that's when I realised how much it did hurt and the damage I had done to my knee, not to mention the burns from the heater and the hot tea. I just layed there and cried until I could manage to crawl away and help myself up with the use of a chair. Ouch... I have had all kinds of treatments but now surgery is the only option.
Lesson everyone, don't lose your balance while carrying hot cups of tea near heaters. :/
Regrettably the heater didnt make it... :(
I love my garden and though I have many flowers in bloom such as my fragrant gardenias and white Autumn crocus with their bright yellow stamens, I thought I would show you some of the many foliage plants that I grow. This is only a small sample of what I have, there are so many more and it has taken me years to either propagate some from seeds, from cuttings or find them and buy them from the garden centre.
Which reminds me of another silly thing I did, I climbed out on a rock ledge and jumped over a ravine to another rock, I was trying to get some seeds from a native plant which grows in this area; it is a species of hakea, it has beautiful lime green leaves and creamy white flowers. It was not available in the garden centres then and since I was good friends with the girls from our local Native Plant nursery they suggested I collect some seeds and propagate them myself.
Well I got my seeds and then found I couldn't get back across the large space between the rocks, I thought I would be stuck there forever but thankfully my ex was with me then and he reached over and caught me as I jumped. I shudder to think where I would be had he not caught me.
Well I did manage to propagate the seeds and I had my beautiful trees for many years, they are not long lived usually about seven years at the most and they were a good reminder that you shouldn't be foolhardy and take risks to collect seeds...I am much more sensible now.
I have included a photo of the plant here as well.
Of course some of these flower in the Spring and Summer, but the many coloured greens, leaf shapes and textures I find are beautiful in their own way. Most have a beautiful fragrance all of their own from the spiciness of the cardamon ginger, the citrus scent of the Backhousia Citriodora and lemon scented tea tree to the almost sweet herbal scent of the Prostanthera... which is another delight for me and the trees and shrubs have that beautiful architectural look to them even when they are not in bud or flower.
I often pick a bunch of green foliage for a vase in the house, they look so fresh and green and the fragrance is delightful...just have to keep those curious kitties of mine away and I am careful not to bring anything into the house which would be harmful to them.
I hope you enjoy these photos and please click on the image for a larger view. ♥
