But I'll begin with some colour...
I'm seeing this glorious hot pink/cerise colour whenever I go out. Of course, at 70kms an hour I can't be sure of identifying it! But I've looked at lots of images and am now pretty sure it's Prunus Campanulata. It gets a bit tricky after that, as I've read that this beautiful tree, much-loved by our native nectivores, is banned in Northland (the province north of Auckland) on account of its prolific seeding habit.
But what I'm seeing may be the permitted variety "Superba." It's common name is Taiwanese Cherry and it's one of the earliest to bloom and boy! does it go all-out! Will I plant one in my new garden? You betcha! But we might have to eat stale crusts for a week or two!
Oh! Maybe not...we have carrots, fresh from a farmers' market...I found a ruler, marked in the pre-metric days. 9"
I'll just leave that there...(Down! boys)
The blackbirds have been having a high old time in the vege garden, then the bird bath...I guess I'd better refill it or the cheeky beggars might come indoors to use our facilities!
And while we're still talking colourful flowers, I was smitten with some eye-popping Leptospermum "Red Falls" when we spent some time wandering in the Botanic Gardens a few weeks ago.
Most New Zealanders know the plant as manuka or "tea-tree" and some of you who like honey and have money probably know it's a major honey source for birds and bees. Before the fairly recent breeding of brighter colours, manuka flowers were white, sometimes pinkish.
Did I hear someone say "more, please."?
It's a little too early for Kowhai, but Spring is not far away... 
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I think I met that carrot a few years ago. Or something similar...
ReplyDeleteLovely to see the exotic flora of NZ is as joyful as the Queensland variety (if a bit more manageable, given the fact you're back in moderate temperatures rather than the tropics!). It all seems so long ago when we were in cherry season... Jx
I'm adjusting! Frost again last night
ReplyDeleteBeautful. Spring is not far away here either. Crocus are out and the wattle is preparing to blaze.
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of wattle here, too, though I've not seen any yet
ReplyDeleteWe just moved from early Spring to high midsummer, climate-wise. I am eyeing all hot climate plants with naked greed these days, and well well well...here you come a-posting! Glorious as always, Dinah XOO
ReplyDeleteOi, madam!!! I do the lush pink bushes!!!!
ReplyDeleteBut talking of gardening, I have spotted Giant Japanese Knotweed in an adjacent field and I'm a bit scared.
Sx
Oh, Scarlet! Get some professional help on that menace. It may be edible, but it DEFINITELY needs to go.
DeleteLovely! I do hope you get your own version of that tree!
ReplyDeleteCarrots, eh ?
ReplyDeleteYes. Very good for eyesight, so during WWII, when vegetables were scarce,word went out that the reason there were not many in shops was because they were needed for RAF night-pilots. Did the British eat carrots during World War II?
DeleteQuora
5 answers · 9 months ago
24
Yes they did. However, the issue is that eating carrots by the Royal Air Force pilots was a piece of intelligence deception.