TODAY'S FLOWERS - Flowers of Hope

To clear my head and give my sister a rest while incarcerated

in hospital, I went for a walk in the neighbourhood.

Peeping over the side fence near the emergency entrance was

this great snow-ball bush.

Spring in sub-urban Melbourne brought forth these arum lilies

against a rather monotonous house.

Normally, these lovely grevilleas would be a goldmine for

territorially fighting honey-eaters protecting their food

source. I was surprised at the lack of birds. Despite the masses

of flowers on all sides, I only saw a few Miner birds.

Roses were just starting to bloom with some unfortunately

damaged outer petals from the recent heavy rains.

Lastly, cherry blossom on a small street tree of some caring

gardener who had planted two on his nature strip.

The fresh air and flowers restored me to a semblance of normalcy

so I could keep my sister slightly more cheerful company.

I hope you are all having a wonderful Spring/Autumn wherever you

are. Forgive me if I do not manage to visit you all, I do as much as I

can manage at the moment.

TODAY'S FLOWERS make it possible for us to see what is blooming

around the world, so post your own and check out everyone else's!

TODAY'S FLOWERS - Birthday Wonders

On this special day for me, when I reach my first

three quarter century, I went around the garden

and park to show you the wonders mother nature

has blessed me with on this one day. This is but a

selection of all that is flowering at the moment.

My shade-house full of scented and other orchids

is not even touched upon here.

The wisteria along the house is in full bloom.

On first waking very early, this Adelaide Rosella was nipping

off the new shoots of my rose bushes.

I went to the farmers' market and on my way back, saw this

amazing tree peony. The elderly gentleman kindly invited me

into his garden to photograph it and insisted on presenting me

with a bloom for my birthday!

With these few hardy tulips, I would like to thank all those of

you who so kindly prayed for us, sent kind thought and light.

Your intervention on our behalf has already paid dividends as

the prognosis for my wonderful sister has changed from an

impossibly frightening one, to a more hopefully operable

contained brain tumour close to the scull.

The operation is scheduled for Monday so please if you can,

continue with your support a little longer.

Below is my birthday tree that never fails to have at least a

few blossoms on the day. This year it is in full flight and a joy

to behold

I thought with all the turmoil in the family my birthday would

pass unnoticed but to my great surprise, suddenly last night

my son, daughter-in-love and youngest granddaughter

materialised on our doorstep!

Above, a close up of my birthday tree and below a mountain

of gold . . . am I rich or what??

Everyone should have a daisy a day . . .

Heading into the park, I was greeted by Sam who excitedly ran

towards me faster than I could get his tail into my sights.

The Judas tree is full of pretty pink buds,

This ash that I cannot remember off hand has bright pink flower

like leaves.

the Choke CHerry, Prunus padus, takes me back to my Latvian

childhood with it's wonderfully heady scent.

The Banksia is covered in golden birthday candles just for me

and even the young oak that I grew from an acorn is flowering

for the first time

and lucky last, these deep pink blossoms on my red-leafed

crabapple.

And that is not the half of all that is in bloom at the moment.

I wish each and every one of you a happy day!

Just click on the Logo and fall into a wealth of flower and show

your own as well.

TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ Birthday Tree

For forty years My double flowered ornamental cherry trees
have flowered for my birthday, except this year.
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Some years it would be the first blossom, sometimes the last

and sometimes all else inbetween but not this year, this year

they are eight days late. Are we really in a global warming cycle

or is this the first sign of another ice age?

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These pictures were taken this afternoon, after a few sunny

days the first two blossoms opened.

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The first bloom on my roses, 'Ophelia', my mother's favourite.

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The Logo opens gardens full of flowers.

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Thanks to the TODAY'S FLOWERS' Team we can visit them all around the globe.

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TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ Rebirth

I believe that summer's heat will fade,
that winter's snows will melt
and somewhere spring will come again
as sure as day will follow night


















the quince will bloom in glory then
upon her greenwood bough
and love will come
and take your hand

and swell like maiden's blush

to grow and stay a day

a year, a lifetime long

to smooth our rocky way

The portal to more flowers opens at the Logo.

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With thanks to Luiz Santilli Jr. and his dream team for this

delightful meme.

TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ 32 Wonders of Spring

There were compensations along the way in driving
a thousand miles to Sydney. This glorious flower display
greeted us on leaving our cabin in a caravan park in
Blackheath in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales.



We were lucky enough to get the last night in the
last cabin when we were dog tired, so tired we did
not even notice the beauty of the street until the
next morning.



The whole street was full of Azaleas, there was a pond
in the dell surrounded by Cherry Trees.



Ducks on the pond and sun on the cherry blossom,
there was beauty all around....



as we headed up the hill again through the extensive
gardens, the Rhododendrons hit us like a steam train,
they were enormous and many were in full bloom.
No wonder the place was booked out until November
with the Rhododendron festival starting!



Rhododendrons as high as houses and in the most
vibrant colours imaginable...



this one made a pretty picture shielded by the
protective arms of the native Australian Eucalypt.
The Rhododendron was a good 30' tall, seldom have
I seen one so large.



So often when one makes an effort to do something nice,
the Universe blesses one with a wonderful gift - this
was such a time.

All pictures enlarge, enjoy!

The world is full of beautiful flowers, click on the Logo and see.

Thanks to Luiz Santilli Jr. and the Flower Team we can join in
and enjoy this meme.

Today's Flowers

This is what is flowering in my garden today

an Iris



a golden Tree Paeony



a Prunus with a heavenly scent



a pink Flowering Cherry

a red leaved Crabapple

a Wisteria outside my bedroom window

Bluebells and Cape Weed in the grass

Malus floribunda scenting the air

Scilla peruviana a haven for bees and a joy to the eyes.


What is flowering where you are today?