Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wednesday 4 January 2012

Garden Glory

A little while ago I said that this year we looked like having a bumper crop of liliums.  I was right.

Many of them are out now, and I think they are amazing.  Some of the roses are lovely too.









It was stinking hot here yesterday so I lurked inside until I took these last shots just on and just after sunset last night.  They almost glow in the dark. 




These last two shots I took early this morning.  And they still almost glow.



And the liliums in the bed by the drive are now over seven feet tall and are still tightly in bud.  Watch this space.

49 comments:

  1. Gorgeous stuff. I really like the pink one contrasted against the white eucalypt bark.

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  2. Cat Drawings: Thank you. On the other side of the gum I have planted sea holly, and lavender and acquilegia in glorious pale blues. I love our eucalypts = we have three big ones, and refuse to consider having them removed.

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  3. What a beautiful garden you have! I do love liliums - yours are stunning.

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  4. Oh that rose!! The creamy one with the pink tinged petals! I have the exact same rose in the front yard here at the flats. It's been neglected, as have all the roses here, so it rarely flowers, but it's so, so pretty!! In the autumn, I'm going out there with my secateurs and give the roses a proper trimming/pruning.

    Your lilies are very beautiful, I'm just glad I can't smell them from here.
    I love your whole garden.

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  5. I thumb my nose at your flowers, you'll never beat my fine crop of dandelions.

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  6. Alexia: Thank you. My photos are concealing many, many weeds but the liliums rise triumphant.

    River: The rose is double delight. And it is. I suspect with the liliums blooming so well this year some people have to walk on the other side of the street. I am glad you love the garden. Thank you.

    JahTeh: Perhaps not. Are you going to set the dandelion clocks in perspex? That would make it all worth while.

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  7. Double delight - one of the most glorious of roses, have one in my garden too. Have never tried liliums, not sure the climate is right on this side of the country.

    I always love photos of your garden.

    How is your finger after the spider bite?? xxx

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  8. Beautiful flowers, for sure. And your "stinking hot" comment reminded me again of the two different hemispheres we live in. I too wondered how your spider bit finger is doing...

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  9. i bet those are the sort of roses that still have a lovely scent... the mass produced ones (that never even seem to bloom) smell like sticks...

    love the iliums!

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  10. What beauty surrounds you.

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  11. Your garden is a feast for my eyes as I sit here knowing that when I look outside my window, I will only see snow...about 25cm of it! Lovely shots and a fabulous garden.

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  12. I guess the flowers are enjoying the natural hothouse outside, even if the humans are not. They are really beautiful.

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  13. It's so nice to see your beautiful vibrant flowers. I love the brilliant yellow ones. For some reason I am being drawn to yellow these days, so I feasted my eyes on these.

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  14. Ooohhhh that rose.... (picture number three) - a work of art!

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  15. Hi EC,

    Nice to see flowers Down Under when all I see is fog and rain "Oop North"

    :-)

    Cheers

    PM

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  16. Kakka: Thankyou. We planted the Double Delight earlier this year, and I am loving it.
    The spider bite bears watching still - red and inflamed.

    Ron Dudley: Thanks. Stinking hot it is. Dammit. Bring on winter. As I said to Kakka, spidey is still making his presence felt, but it isn't too bad.

    daisyfae: I refuse to plant roses without scent (not real roses in my book).

    mybabyjohn/Delores: Thank you.

    Karen: And here I am thinking that snow would be a feast for my eyes.

    Paper Chipmunk: There have to be some benefits to this weather - and the blooms out the window certainly help.

    DJan: Thankyou. Yellow is such a sunshiny, cheer up colour isn't it? Vanquishing clouds and greyness.

    Kath: Double Delight - and it does.

    PM: Thank you. And my mother always said that the rain and fog oop north were like nothing we will ever see here.

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  17. You have a blooming good garden. The Rose in the 3rd photo is simply stunning :-).

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  18. Oh, how lovely! Never mind the flowers, I can FEEL the sunshine!

    Pearl

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  19. So nice to see such beautiful flowers and hear of hot weather when all is freezing cold and monochromatic landscapes here!

    Take care of that bite!

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  20. Windsmoke: Thank you. That rose is winning a lot of fans.

    Pearl: You definitely could feel that sunshine - it was the mad dogs and englishmen sort of sun.

    Two Tigers: Your monochromatic landscapes are incredibly exotic to me. And yes, I will take care of the bite. Thank you.

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  21. Glorious Garden... it's not only able to be stinking hot where you are but the altitude means that the days are clear and the heat stronger. I envy you your garden... what we have here is hard core clay in places. We are on tank water. BTW are you on the 'south side'? The view of the Brindabellas suggests you might be.

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  22. Christine: We are indeed on the 'south side', and the Brindabellas are a daily joy. Our soil was builders rubble and clay but, after a lot of hard work, it is now approaching reasonable everywhere and excellent in some spots. Rain water tanks are very high on my wish list - but I remember being soley dependant on them and it can be v tricky. No water for toilet flushing is a memory I would rather forget.

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  23. gorgeous gorgeous GORGEOUS photos!!!!!

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  24. NickyHW: Thanks Nicky, I really appreciate it.

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  25. There is hope yet for my clay and rubble filled garden, then!

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  26. Christine: Yup. Much digging and much adding of organic matter. I have a succulent groundcover which attempted to take over one bed. When I got the energy to rip lots of it out I discovered that the roots had broken up the clay soil and decaying matter had added lots of humus. Which the worms loved. So I left some of the succulent there and will cut it back again at the end of this season.

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  27. So beautiful. And it's hard to imagine being hot outside right now - we are below 30 degrees this week in the early morning.

    I especially love seeing the roses arranged inside.

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  28. Amazing flower shots! That rose is spectacular.

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  29. It is too complicated to explain why I am posting a story about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor (which I think is true, though it is second-hand and told to my wife and me about 45 years in Los Angeles, California, when I was a college student) as a comment in this blog. Suffice it to say that I am posting this story here at Elephant Child's Request. If a tale about that fabulous couple intrigues you, read on. If not, skip on.

    When I was in college, I had a friend who was an attractive (though not stunning) woman and a bit older than I was. I was married and a parent already, and she told this story when my wife and I had her over for dinner, so it's not a story about my being involved with naughtiness.

    When she had been younger, my friend lived in New York City. One day, sitting at a table by herself in a bar, she noticed Richard Burton (at that time married to Elizabeth Taylor and appearing in a stage performance of Hamlet on Broadway) sitting at another table and also having a drink. My friend decided she wanted an autograph. Feeling a little shy, she asked the waiter to pass Richard a note asking for his autograph. The waiter (quite appropriately) said, “Mr. Burton just wants to have a quiet drink. He would like to be left alone.”

    Nevertheless, my friend, thinking, “This is the only chance I will ever have in my life to meet RICHARD BURTON, mustered up her courage and without the waiter's permission, approached Richard's table. With shaking voice, she said, “I really admire your acting, and I would really like to have your autograph.” Instead of telling her to go away, he turned on his (astonishing and magnetic charm) and invited her to sit at the table with him and bought her a drink, besides providing her with an autograph. As I said, my friend was an attractive woman, but certainly not in the Elizabeth Taylor class, so I suspect Richard exercising his predatory charm was something like a lion who had just bagged a gazelle snatching up a mouse or bunny for no other reason than he was a lion, and could.

    Anyway, Richard said to my friend, “Have you seen me performance in Hamlet yet?”

    “No,” my friend admitted.

    “I really think you should. We have a matinée tomorrow. Please come to the ticket office; they will be holding a ticket for you. [He took her name.] After the show, come back stage to my dressing room. I will introduce you to Elizabeth.” My friend was flabbergasted.

    The next day, feeling like a fool, she presented herself at the ticket office to the Broadway theater. She was sure they would laugh and tell her to go away. However, there was indeed a ticket being held for her. The seat was a few rows back from the stage in the center of the house; one of the best seats in the theater. After the show was over, still trembling with anxiety, but emboldened by the first promise being fulfilled, she made her way toward the back of the stage, telling a stage hand that Richard Burton had invited her to his dressing room. The stage hand tried to chase her away, but at least agreed to see if Richard would let her into his dressing room. He returned, and with some surprise, said, “Mr. Burton said he is expecting you. Please follow me.”

    Admitted into the small room, she found Richard Burton, Roddy McDowell (also appearing n that production), and Elizabeth Taylor. They all greeted her in a friendly fashion, and chatted with her in amiable manner that put her at ease.

    The last thing my friend told us (as she was recounting the tale to us) was, “When I met Elizabeth Taylor up close, I was astonished by how beautiful she was. I am not a woman who is attracted to women, but when I looked into those astonishing eyes, I almost felt myself falling in love with her.”

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  30. I looked at those pictures with undisguised pleasure :)))

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  31. I am getting old and also I am a little dyslexic, so please correct in your mind where my writing is a little less than perfectly correct in grammar and coherence. Thank you.

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  32. Lynn: Thank you so much. We have flowers inside all year, and I love it when we can bring our own inside.

    ladyfi: Thank you. Given your own glorious photos that is high praise.

    Modesty Press: I am so glad that whilst at Spectra's place I asked you to tell this story. It is truly lovely, and so nice to hear of people who success has not made arrogant and rude. Thank you. Lots. (And you were perfectly coherent.)

    Ken.G: I really like your visits and am happy to have given you pleasure.

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  33. I like all the beautiful flowers but I love the photo of the 7ft tall against tree bark
    ps. I hope you can stay cool

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  34. Kim @ Stuff: The pink one against the tree is one of this year's smaller ones - probably only five foot. Enchanting though. And I am doing my best to stay cool. Heat makes the MS thrive for me.

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  35. If you lived closer, I'd move in and camp in your back yard. Such amazing flowers.

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  36. What wonderful flowers. It's mid winter here, but they remind me of summer's promise.

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  37. These are gorgeous shots :-). Make me miss summer.

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  38. Oh wow, you do have the most gorgeous garden. Love these photos.

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  39. Anne: Welcome back, and thank you.

    Raajii: Welcome. I am not a summer fan, but I do enjoy the garden.

    Denise: Thanks a lot.

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  40. Cloudia: Given the joy you spread world wide I am so pleased that you find some here.

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  41. Amazing! too hot up here for most of the flowers you grow so beautifully. I do like a cold climate. Nicer, bigger flowers and all those fruit varieties.

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  42. How dare you show me these when I'm in the depths of muddy, grey and dismal winter?

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  43. Lydia La La: I would like this area to be colder yet. I would also like to be able to grow mangos. Mmmmm mangos.

    Friko: Perhaps you could view it as a reminder that your summer (and our winter) WILL come back.

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  44. Soo Beautiful! And I'm SOOOO envious!

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  45. Diane: Glad you liked them. I am envious of your ice and snow so perhaps we are even.

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  46. EEEEEE. I can't believe I missed this beauty. I didn't plant any Christmas amaryllis, so I starved for some floral beauty. Thank you. If i close my eyes I can smell them.

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  47. barbfroman: They do indeed smell amazing. And there are more coming out each day. Joy and bliss.

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