Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Sunday 20 January 2013

Sunday Selections #104

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files. 

The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life.  The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.

Like River I generally run with a theme.  Despite the vile, offensive, obscene hot weather I have been enduring there are still some things (mostly liliums) out in the garden.  Others have sadly become crispy critters, but there is some colour to be seen.








59 comments:

  1. Blooming Bonza photos, but i must ask what is the name of the plant in the 5th photo as its very unusual indeed.

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    1. Windsmoke: That is a Bromeliad and strictly speaking it is not yet in flower. If you enlarge it by clicking on it you will see two purple flower buds - they will grow quite dramatically. More photos to come.

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  2. Beautiful indeed! Oh I am so hoping you will soon get a break from that awful heat. We are shivering in fog and cold. I'd rather be cold, since I can put clothes ON to warm myself. Heat is another matter altogether. I love your flowers...

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    1. DJan: Thank you. It has been slightly cooler for the last days which has been helping the firefighters (and me). It is going to climb by the end of the week again. And yes, I agree with you, it is much easier to get warm than it is to get cool.

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  3. Gorgeous photos of gorgeous flowers. I love lilies but I am allergic to them.

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    1. Karen: So is my very bestest friend. The tiger-lilies have no scent so you would perhaps be safe with them.

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  4. Your flowers are braving the heat miraculously ... beautiful pictures. Your yard must be a marvel when it isn't being rampaged by the heat. I haven't seen any of your birds around ... have they moved to a cooler climate? I read your response to my comment and I will be thinking of you as well. I will have you in my prayers and will look forward to your return. Be well, my friend. Wish I was close enough to lend a hand ...

    Andrea

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    1. Andrea: There are less birds around, and we mainly see them either very early or just before dusk. On the truly offensively hot days we see almost no birds. The garden is a delight when there is sufficient water, or when the days are not super hot. Thank you for all of your good wishes - they mean a lot.

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  5. What a visual dessert. Liliums are so varied.

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    1. Susan Kane: We have planted many, many liliums over the years and will undoubtedly plant more. We still have some in bud, and hopefully they will be out in a day or two.

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  6. Your flowers are total show-offs. I mean honestly. :-)

    Unbelievable that they not only survived the heat, but appeared to thrive in the heat! They're gorgeous!

    I'm glad Windsmoke asked that question, because I was wondering the same thing. And the second and fourth photos of what looks like a Tiger Lily - is it? I can't tell if they're the same species of flower. Very fancy! And the colors of all of them are just amazing!

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    1. Laloofah: Thank you. Consider the flowers bowing in appreciation. The second and fourth are a tiger lily - I just liked it in profile as well. Colour in the garden is magic - though I also like serene green.

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  7. Wonderful liliums! Every time I see pictures from your lovely garden, I modify/add to my plans for my new garden. Although we have been in the new house for 2 months now, we are still surrounded by clay/dust and rough, weedy grass. I hope that the man who is going to prepare the ground, lug in topsoil, and lay some instant lawn will be able to start work soon, although heat and watering restrictions are still a problem... sigh.

    I have never seen a bromeliad in flower - please post a photo when the buds develop.

    Hope your slighly cooler weather continues :)

    (sorry, didn't mean to write an essay x)

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    1. Alexia: Long comments are always welcome. I will put up more photos of the bromelliad as it grows (if it grows). And our garden is a work in progress - and probably always will be. I add to it, change it every season.

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  8. Beautiful beautiful beautiful!

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  9. EC.. your garden never fails to amaze me and to survive the heat you've had shows how much time you must spend nurturing it. Thanks for sharing. Those flowers are beautiful.
    I actually popped into your blog this morning with a report on Karen. She came out of ICU yesterday morning and has a private room. She is quite sore but has been able to have small quantities of water and beef broth (couldn't stomach jelly for some reason). She rang me last night; sounded very tired but happy and I have given her your love and best wishes. Will keep you up to date as the days go on. She may blog herself once she is home and tell all.

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    1. Mimsie: Thank you. I am very, very happy that Karen is doing ok(ish). I have been thinking of her often, wondering how she is and hoping she is doing well.

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  10. You delight us with your lovely lilies and tropical plants. You treat them right and in return they tickle our fancy with their beauty.

    I pray you and SP are well and happy ~:)

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    1. Pam:): Thank you. We are getting ready for the next surgical round, due to begin on Feb 4.

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  11. These are so beautiful, EC.

    I thought of you this evening as I walked through falling snow, and gave thanks for the new perspective on winter that you have given me.

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    1. jenny_o: Thank you. Falling snow? Oooh and aaaah. Even before my MS diagnosis I liked the bare bones elegance of winter and now I long for it.

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  12. I love the colour of the tiger lilies. I see you have the same pink begonia flowers that I took photos of in our Botanic Gardens. I've planned on putting them up next Sunday with other flower photos.
    I had a bromeliad in a pot on my front porch when I lived in Melbourne, and it sulked after we moved to Adelaide, so I planted it out in the front yard and someone stole it. sigh.

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    1. River: The tiger lilies are a bright and cheerful splash of colour and over the years they have colonised quite a lot of our garden. I am looking forward to the next installment of your Botanic Gardens postings.
      Plant thieves are really quite low, like all thieves I suppose.

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  13. Beautiful shots - so glad to see they are thriving and giving you beauty in the horrible heat.

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  14. Oh, how I love your pictures. I can only imagine how beautiful they are in person (when you can bear the heat). Can you see them from your windows?

    I have a birds of prey outing today with the local wildlife conservancy and was feeling mildly grumpy about having to brave the cold (it's supposed to get to 46 degrees F; really *nothing* to complain about). I'll think of you and, echoing an earlier reader's comment, remember the new perspective on winter you've shared via your struggles with the awful heat.

    Stay cool!

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    1. Ms CrankyPants: A birds of prey outing? How wonderful. You will tell us about it won't you? Some of these flowers can be seen from the windows, and others require a trip outside, which at this time of day means EARLY.

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  15. What brilliant, beautiful colors! It might be hot, but they look like long cool drinks. :)

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    1. Laura Eno: They offer some consolation for the extreme weather. Some.

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  16. Oh those lilies are wonderful; I can just smell their fragrance and the tiger lilies remind me of the native ones that grew in the Northern California mountains when I lived there. When I think of blistering heat I imagine myself floating in a bath of cool water, just floating and doing nothing till the cool weather comes back. what a dream that is.

    What is the next to the last red drooping flower? I am unfamiliar with it.

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    1. Linda Starr: The drooping red flower is a begonia, and the one above it a Christmas cactus - the second flowering for the year. In the heat, I remember and long for Antarctica.

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  17. Oh dear, this is so lovely! My son is looking at your flowers over my shoulder and like me, he's wishing we could plant such beautiful flowers. Alas, it's the middle of winter and we must wait for spring. So until then we'll dream of flowers and enjoy your garden.

    xoxo,

    RunningfromHellwithEl

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    1. El Farris: Thank you. Spring will come soon - as I hope Autumn does.

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  18. Those are gorgeous! So bright and cheerful.

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  19. Obscenely hot! And we're having snow! :-) Beautiful, beautiful shots. I appreciated them even more tonight as London gets whipped up by a blizzard. Many thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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    1. A Cuban in London: Ooooh snow. I have been watching your weather and dreaming. (We are never satisfied are we?)

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  20. Lovely. Thank you for the beautiful glimpse into (your currently sweltering) world.

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  21. Oh so lovely! I especially love tiger lilies.

    Wishing you and your garden some respite. Although, February is almost here - it's the month I dislike the most.
    Said it before, and I'll say it again... roll on Autumn. :)

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    1. Vicki: You are right - February is usually the hottest, most unpleasant month. This year? I hope not, given how vile January has been.
      We also love the tiger lilies, and love the way they have colonised beds I could swear I didn't plant them in...

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  22. I love those Tiger Lilies. I also love this snow we are having. You would love it too. I'll try and get some photos of it onto my Blog this week, it's fresh, sparkling and beautiful. Thinking of you both and hoping the next round of surgery will be a success x x

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    1. bugerlugs63: You are right. I would love the snow, and hope to get over to your blog to check it out. The medical mayhem is ramping up now (pre-admission clinic today for him, pain management for me tomorrow) but I will do my very best to visit you. I hope all is well. I really hope all is well.

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  23. Such glorious splashes of colour. A delightful feast for thine eyes.

    And yes, such extremes we are having. You with that oppressive heat and us with the magic and somewhat inconvenient snow.

    In peace, Penny the Jack Russell dog and next 'Paw Minister' of Britain! :)

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  24. Wow. Just... wow! What colors! I guess they do well being grown in a furnace.

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    1. Paper Chipmunk (aka Ellen): Something has to thrive in those conditions. It surely isn't me. When we left the hospital a little while ago at just after 4 pm, it was still over 90 - on one of our milder days. Sigh.

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  25. Despite the vile, offensive, obscene hot weather I have been enduring...

    Swap you some of that for some of this snow and ice - could well do with some of the colour and beauty you are showing here. Fabulous post - as per usual! Hearty thanks!

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    1. Dave King: I would swap in a heart beat. What we need is to be able to average world wide weather - and I would still want snow and ice.

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  26. Brilliant. Vivid.

    Just like you, Dear S. Xxxx

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  27. Beauty amongst all the concerns and worries you have, EC.

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  28. I don't think there's any vibrance in the local flora here like that. Everything's overcast, frozen and muted. While you've got heat, I've got iced-out roads. But at least you have this view!

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  29. such gorgeousness! certainly a blessing to have a garden that offers this.

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