TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ Flowers of a Warmer Climate

Arriving at our son's house in Sydney NSW, we were greeted

by a carpet of pink and white petals. Sydney was a-wash with

Camellias in every possible shape,

here as a hedge. At other places as large trees or even topiaries.

Everywhere these exquisite blooms in pink and white!

I will disappear off the radar again from dawn tomorrow until I

can find another connection so please leave some comments even

though I cannot visit until we get home in a few days time I hope.

All photos enlarge as usual.

Thank you Luiz for this great meme, I hope any visitors here will also

join in through the Logo on my side bar.

TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ 28 From our Neighbour's Garden

Please ENLARGE for best effect.



This is only a part of the lovely bouquet our neighbour
of 38 years of adventures on the ridge of Mt.Lofty in
South Australia, gave me as we left after a short visit. In
1983 we both lost our houses and gardens in one of our most
devastating bushfires. In the early 1970's this was an isolated
bush area with a dozen or so historical houses and a few
modern ones. Now there is a freeway nearby and people lock
their doors and cars and this, the then pristine water
catchment in the highest rainfall area in the sate, is covered
by houses and roads. In the driest State in the driest Continent
it just highlights the idiocy of our State planners.



Our dear neighbour grows superb Camellias and this
bloom is almost 4"across. As it opened, this glorious red
bloom turned out to be Siamese twins with two centres!



Camellias need to be picked in bud to keep well in a vase
but these marvels have now lasted for three days in a heated
room and were fully open when I received them.



Photographed at arms length in the car on the way back to the farm.

Click on the Logo to join in r view many more wonderful flowers.



Thank you Luiz Santilli Jr. and flower power Team for keeping this
wonderful meme going.

MY WORLD ~ 5 Our House on the Mountain

This is our personal Phoenix, rebuilt with the
original walls from 1850 or so, after the extensive
bushfire of 1983, which devoured 76 homes including
ours. Not much survived in the historic garden as well.

The house itself stands on the ridge of Mt.Lofty at an
elevation of 650m, overlooking Gulf St.Vincent and
Adelaide, the capital of South Australia on the western
side, and on the other, the eastern foothills and on a clear
day Lake Alexandrina at the mouth of the Murray River
some 100km as the crow flies, to the east.



As you come into the yard from the driveway,
the first thing that strikes your eyes is this
magnificent Camellia tree. Three of these were
planted in front of the original house probably
in the early 1850's. They have withstood the
force of two major bushfires and managed to
regrow again. This one has recovered much
better than it's siblings which were closer to the
front porch and much more severely burnt.



Close up of the Camellia whose name has been lost
in the depths of time.



The shadow on the gravel is from a Beech my
husband planted, The flowering crab apple is
Malus floriunda.



On the right a massive Snowball bush, another
survivor, burnt to the ground and regrown.



Looking up to the back of the house over
terraces of lilacs, Syringa vulgaris, in lilac
purple and white.



View from one of the dining room
windows towards the west.



My precious white Rhododendron, before the fire
the size of the Crabapple above, has taken 25 years
to regrow to this. Again, the name has disappeared
into the mists of history.



Looking up fron the eastern terraces in spring



'Papa Meilland' and 'Mr.Lincoln' on our bedroom wall



Taken through my car window heading down the drive,
a kangaroo grazing in the orchard with a backdrop of
Camellias, Rhododendrons and bare Oak tree.

This is just a fleeting impression of the three acre
garden that surrounds the new old house.

Thank you SkyWatch/My World team for making
this venue a delight to us all.
To visit amazingly beautiful and interesting places,
click on the logo on the right.

TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ Flowers on my Table

Please scroll down for Brenda's Photochallenge,
Thankful Friday, Skywatch etc.

'Cecile Brunner' strongly scented tiny
rosebuds gracing a cloth embroidered
four generations ago, around 1850.



White Madonna Lily and pink Orientals.



A wealth of roses bunched up together



Tree Paeonia, backed by Rhododendron and lilac



A mixed bunch, just this and that...

My heart felt appreciation to Luiz Santilli Jr.,

Denise B. Castro and Laerte Pupo for hosting this delightful site.

To see what is flowering elsewhere, click on the Logo.