My July Winter Garden

 Sunday 7 July

I trust my Canadian and American friends have enjoyed wonderful, National Days. This time last year we celebrated with Ben and Nora in Canada.  Stanley and Stanlietta sent them a special message.

The past week has been spent accompanying my dear friend Pam, to the Royal Brisbane Hospital for her daily radium treatment. Tomorrow is the last one, but she will have to continue on her trial 'chemo' tablets. We won't know for 8 weeks if the radium has reduced or slowed the lung cancer. 

On returning home each day, my spirits lift with a wander in the garden. Unlike many of you reading this post, my tropical winter garden has lots of colour to bring delight. Our summer is far too hot for the colour to last.

My camelias have been stunning.

The past week has been wet. This camelia had fallen perfectly on the ground. I was able to gently lift it into this bowl, where it has been absolutely beautiful for 6 days.

The camelia shrubs however,  are beginning to feel the effects of the continued rain. This photo was taken late yesterday. The primula, hydrangea and azalea though, are doing well for spring's arrival.

 A friend has a 70th birthday in September and I am freezing a few of the camelias in balloons, to put in the ice bucket.

Our home and pool take up much of our block, so my garden has many small scattered areas.

This little nook is next to the camelia bed. The pansies are flowering, but I've decided that they don't have enough winter sunshine here. They are unable to lift their heads.

On a whim, I bought a packet of mixed spring flower seeds. They are flourishing in a bed that is usually filled with tomatoes and lettuce.

Opposite is the terraced pool bed, with rosemary, lemon scented mossie deterent geranium, and self sown dill.

Can you also spot my tiny bush rose that is looking its best in 20 years?

Outside our poolside lounge door, is this little collection of flowers and memories. The plant stand was a Mother's Day gift from my boys 20 years ago. The boots walked many kilometres, with the Wainright Coast to Coast, their ultimate adventure.  The gorgeous pig reflects my wonderful and long friendship with "The Pigs".

The gardens at the front of the house are mainly native shrubs that look after themselves, but provide colour and beauty all year.    Bromeliads are planted beneath them.

This bed borders our driveway and our neighbour's garden. Gazanias and hippeastrum bulbs make a dense ground cover.

Our entrance garden is also waiting for spring.

To the left of it, another minature bush rose has suddenly started to flourish. It also, has never looked this good. Finally, my words of encouragement have brought an amazing result.

Now, we return to the golf side of our home, to the pergola area. Here a dancing lady orchid is in full bloom on the table. The pot has also become home to small crow's nest ferns. The seed of the crow's nest is very fine and blows on the wind. I'll have to wait for the orchid to stop flowering [6/8 weeks] to pot up the crow's nests.

These are assorted images of the front and side of the pergola.

Eucharis Lily

We love our birds to visit and sing to us. Of late though, every time we eat here, they come en masse and dive on the food on the table. They have become a terrible nuisnace.

Our neighbours garden [on the right looking at the golf course] adds colour to our view. The white shrub is Snowflakes. [family of pointsettias] The orange plant in the foreground is a new cacti specimen now found in our nurseries. I have yet to find its name. At the far end is the vibrant winter creeper, Orange Trumpet Vine or Pyrostegia venusta.

As I have driven to Pam's the past 3 weeks, this Pink Trumpet tree has been looking sensational.

My time in the garden is often lengthened as the view across the golf course is constantly changing.

5pm yesterday.

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