Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Sunday 6 November 2016

Sunday Selections #301

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.  Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
 
Like River I usually run with a theme. Himself arrived home at the end of last week.  He loved his time away and has thousands of photos to go through.  And I am not exaggerating.


However, this week I will give you more from the garden, part of a bird, and the last of the shots he sent me from his phone.

I am reverting to type and mostly featuring individual blooms.





Almost the last of the tulips.



The pergola, festooned with the white banksia rose.




A Green Goddess Calla Lily.  The white ones have been and gone, and the coloured ones are yet to bloom.



This orchid flower spike caused me to curse the birds.  It was eight or nine inches long, and had many buds.  Until a vandal bird pinched the end off it leaving only three blooms.  Sigh.



The deed had been done, so this wasn't the culprit, but he hightailed it along the veranda as soon as he saw me.  Guilty conscience?

And a return to China.  The skinny one went to the Great Wall on a weekend.  And it was very, very crowded.



So he went back again a few days later.








Much more better.

121 comments:

  1. EC your gardem must be wonderful. White tulips are awesome

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    1. Gosia k: Thank you. Parts of the garden are lovely. Other parts not.

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  2. Your garden is bountiful! I'm hoping for water next year so I can have my garden again. I miss it so much.

    Love the China pictures as usual.

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    1. cleemckenzie: I hope you get water. This is the first year in a very long time we have had such a generous supply. And it makes a HUGE difference.

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  3. Those large white blossoms were stunning.

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    1. donna baker: I wait for the snowball tree (guelder rose) to bloom each year. It is largely covered by a gold banksia rose, but shines through beautifully.

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  4. Beautiful garden you have, EC, have you done well. And, the China, lovely Skinney one .

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  5. Much fabulosity. (Except for the Nightmare on the Wall) It must have been wonderful to have it almost to himself on the second trip.And did you notice the little girl peering at her screen!

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    1. dinamow: Nightmare on the Wall sums it up beautifully. I don't think I would have had the courage to go back in case it was more of the same. And yes, I did notice the screen watcher.

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  6. The flowers are exquisite. Those pesky birds...

    The weekend at The Great Wall...just WOW!

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    1. Marie Smith: I don't mind (much) when the birds eat the plants. When they snip pieces off for fun I do say a few words.
      Weekend at the Wall looks like a foretaste of hell to me.

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  7. Such beautiful flowers--& SO many people!!

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    1. fishducky: I shudder even looking at that crowded photo.

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  8. No darkness in this week's photos. The formation and colour of the first iris photo is amazing. I like the fleeing cockatoo photo. The Great Wall is so crowded and I've written a mental note about the worst time to visit, should I ever be there.

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    1. Andrew: I really like that burgundy iris. It has multiplied well too.
      And yes, no Wall on the weekend. Ever.

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  9. Okay, I will never ever go to the Great Wall on a weekend, if I ever get to visit China.
    The flowers are beyond exquisite, the white tulip is achingly pretty. You are a wonderful gardener!

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    1. Nilanjana Bose: Isn't the difference incredible? One would be a pleasure, and the other? Not. No way, no how, no chance.
      I do love the garden. And other people's gardens.

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  10. Much more better, indeed. I could not breathe in that crowd, and when knocked down, would never be up again.

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  11. Oh! My God! Far, far too many people for me!!

    Blooming beautiful blooms, though! :)

    Have yourself a great week ahead, EC...cuddles to your two furry mates. :)

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    1. Lee: Far too many people for me as well.
      A great week to you and your furry dictators.

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  12. The variety of flowers you have gifted us is impressive. Love them. Thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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  13. Autumn leaves are not bright and colorful this year...things a little drab so grateful to see the lovely flowers this evening!

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    1. Bookie: I am glad. I hope your health is improving. Step by step.

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  14. Lovely irises! and roses, and snowballs.. my young snowball bush is looking very picturesque. I'm glad the skinny one persevered and saw the wall properly.

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    1. Alexia: I am glad your young snowball is thriving. I don't think I could have faced a return trip to the Wall for fear it would be equally crowded. I am glad he is made of stronger stuff.

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  15. Was I the only one who found this funny?
    There are all these beautiful flowers. Then there is a bird's rear end.

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    1. Martin Kloess: The bird's butt has a beauty of its own. It is a strange juxtaposition though.

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  16. That crowd! Gah!

    Love, love your flowers.

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  17. From the cathedral of your flowers to the great wall! Wow what a post!

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    1. Cloudia: Home and away. Both with difficulties, both with wonders and joy.

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  18. I love the beautiful late spring flowers you show here, and I have been on the Great Wall myself, but never with such a crowd! I'm glad he went back. And I too laughed at the bird's butt. :-)

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    1. DJan: Laughter never goes astray. Unlike crowds.

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  19. Your photos are beautiful as always. I am smitten with the green and white calla lily.

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    1. Anne in the kitchen: Thank you. I am a big fan of that lily too. A big, big fan.

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  20. LOVE the very empty wall! That's the only way I'd like to see it. I'm glad the skinny one got to go back when the crowds were gone.
    If you see a rather permanent tent pitched in your garden ignore it. It's only me...I moved in while you weren't looking... ;)

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    1. River Fairchild: I am with you on the empty wall. Conservatively speaking several hundred per cent. And you would be welcome to camp. And wouldn't have to do much weeding as site fees.

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  21. Those flowers are so pretty. Also, I love the wall pictures! They are awesome. Thank you. :)

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  22. I'd love to see the Great Wall in person, but I'd have to pick a day when it wasn't wall-to-wall people too.
    I love the white flowers in the first photo; snowball bush? Naughty birds to pick off the orchid like that, and that particular colour is the same as what my bridesmaids carried. Not my choice, I mostly let mum decide all the details.

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    1. River: It is a snowball bush. The first photo was taken at the end of the day, and the individual blooms the next morning - hence the difference in colour.
      An empty wall I would love to see. Jam-packed? It would give me the horrors. And I loved your wall-to-wall people phrase. It was.

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  23. Nice to see your summer and flowers. But the birds are annoying.
    You have such large birds, they eat a lot of flowers, a shame.
    Great Wall of China looks great and interesting.
    Wish you happy next week.

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    1. orvokki: I don't mind (as much) when they eat what they pick. The snipping off and throwing away is irritating though. And I still love the birds.
      I hope you too have a wonderful week.

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  24. Great to see those gorgeous flowers....and what a Great Wall!

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    1. Margaret-whiteangel: Isn't it a great wall. And wasn't that a great (not) crowd.

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  25. Hi EC - love the plants ... tulips over already?! Banksias I love seeing, as too the Iris and Bearded Iris ... beautiful rose, the Green Goddess lily - I'm not sure I've ever seen one of those before.

    Well that was lucky that he was able to go back for another viewing of the Great Wall .. and yes what a difference ...

    Cheers and have a good week - Hilary

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    1. Hilary Melton-Butcher: Yup, the tulips have just about done their dash. When I first saw the Green Goddess lily in a garden catalogue (which we refer to as garden porn) I had to have it. And have never regretted it.

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  26. I hadn't been counting the weeks but I thought the China trip must have been about half way through! time flies, eh?

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    1. kylie: Time is a very elastic beast. It flies, and some days it drags. He would tell you if whizzed by in a heart beat.

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  27. Those are such delightful photos to see, for they're all so beautiful, but I'm sad to hear what happened to that orchid, orchids are one of my favorite flowers.

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    1. Lon Anderson: I was sad about the orchid too, but there is another on the back veranda which the birds have left alone. I think we will move the vandalised one.

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  28. Dear EC
    Beautiful blooms again - it must be looking wonderful! It is so exciting to see how the plants grow through the year, isn't it?
    What a difference a day made (I now have the song in my head...) to viewing the Great Wall. Himself must be so pleased he made that return journey.
    Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. Ellie Foster: It is exciting to see what is growing, and how it is growing, and where it is growing.
      What a difference a day makes indeed...
      Have a great week.

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  29. My partner has walked part of the Great Wall of China and brought back a couple of pieces of rock from it. We have then on our fire place. I have to be careful not to just chuck them away. :D

    Love the photos of the flowers.

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    1. LL Cool Joe: We have pieces of the Taj Mahal, but I don't think he bought back any of the wall. Which is unusual. Thanks for reminding me. I will ask.

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  30. Beautiful birds can still terrorize. Beautiful Owls and Beautiful Bald Eagles kill my Beautiful chickens. Whatcha gonna do when they come for you bad birds bad birds... LOL

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    1. If you don't get the TV show COPS in Australia you don't have a clue about what I just wrote.

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    2. Granny Annie: I have never seen COPS, but what you wrote DID make sense, so I assume we do get it. And yes, many of our birds are incontinent vandals.

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  31. Wow, that is crowded, at the Great Wall, like our National Parks here, wall to wall people. Nice he went back when empty. I like the orange flower, almost called it a rose, but I see its not. And the irises, if that's what they are, love those.

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    1. Strayer: The orange one is a rose - and they are irises.
      He was lucky to see the Wall with less people. Are your National Parks really that crowded? Ours (fortunately) aren't.

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  32. Your garden is indeed delightful. I shall have to keep looking at your flowers all through our bleak snowy cold winter.
    The first pics of the Great Wall must have been on an official Chinese day off, the second visit was much easier to take, I'm sure. It's an amazing feat of engineering, especially when you think parts were built in 7th century BCE.

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    1. Shammickite: There will be garden photos all year round. Unless we get a very hot summer, and everything is crispified. Sadly a very real possibility.
      The Wall is indeed an amazing feat. I often wonder how many of our monuments (built with 'superior' technology) will last a fraction of the time.

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  33. Your garden is a paradise.
    I would've spent a lot of time on those empty sections of the Wall.

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    1. Alex J. Cavanaugh: I suspect that I too would have spent lots and lots of time on the empty Wall. Those crowds would have left me feeling overwhelmed and unable to breathe.

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  34. The Skinny One is on such an adventure! How much of the Great Wall did he get to traverse?

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    1. John Wiswell: He didn't get to traverse much of it - a couple of kilometres. If he goes back, which is more than possible, I suspect he will aim for more.

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  35. I'd love to sit in your garden, it's so beautiful. I must admit, I wouldn't like to help you tend to it. I'm not good at gardening.
    My husband's dream is to go to China. Maybe when he fully recovers from illness, he'll take this off his bucket list.

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    1. Myrna R.: Most of the work in the garden is mine. Himself likes to weed with poisons, which I ban. It is (usually) worth the blood, sweat and tears which go into it.
      Himself had to put off travelling for a few years because of health issues. He is back - and loving it. I hope your husband can do the same.

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  36. Gorgeous! I especially enjoyed the tulip. Maybe because tulips are my favorite or maybe because I love seeing familiar flowers blooming in faraway places? Tickles me knowing we share common flowers despite living far apart :o) That said, I do love seeing all the different birdies you get! Great "Sunday Selections," thanks for the smiles :o)

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    1. HBF: Thank you. I love seeing the similarities and the differences across the world too. And enjoying the seasons (some of them) twice.

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  37. Beautiful pictures. So if I want to visit the Great Wall without crowds what days are best to go?

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    1. Jono: NOT on a weekend. I think he went a little further away from Beijing to get the unobstructed views too.

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  38. EC, I love love love your pergola. It looks like your very own kind of paradise. I imagine hours spent out there, reading or knitting. Heaven.
    How did the skinny one manage to see the Great Wall without anybody else around? I thought the usual experience would be one like in the first photo with crowds, crowds and more crowds. He's lucky!

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    1. Carola Bartz: I think luck had a part to play. He went during the week the second time, when the locals were at work. And went a little further away from Beijing as well. It was still within a day trip though (albeit a long day).

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  39. Oh wow! The garden photos are out of this world!!! And the crowded vs empty Great Wall made us laugh out loud... How funny.... Difficult to be with so many people!!

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    1. Nicky HW: Very, very difficult to be with that many people. I would hate it.

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  40. Definitely 'much more better.' :) I want to go to The Bean early in the morning to get a picture of it without people. My children hate that I love The Bean, but I really, really do. I don't foresee us heading to Chicago again any time soon though. We moved too far north (not that I'm complaining... I like Chicago just fine, but I like being in a warm state so so so so so sooo much!). :) Your flowers are pretty. I'm sorry a bird happened off w/your pretty petals.

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    1. mail4rosey: I didn't know The Bean until I enlisted Captain Google's assistance. I would definitely love to see it in the early morning.
      I think if I was in the Northern Hemisphere I would opt for somewhere with snow. I don't do heat well.

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  41. The flowers were delightful to see, the only thing I've seen around here are some autumn mums. It will be a long winter. Enjoy your beautiful springtime.

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    1. Truedessa: When we are sweltering in the sweaty season I will turn to pictures of your part of the world for relief. I hope your winter is kinder to you than you expect (and our summer kinder here).

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  42. The flower shots are extraordinary, EC. I prefer the closeup shots but that is just me. Such beauty.

    I am loving that shot of the bird - so much detail ... the feet, the wing feathers perfectly overlapping, the tail spread like a fan ... and I find it fitting that he is half out of the frame. After all, he was in a hurry!

    Looking forward to your partner's photos as well. The Great Wall is amazing. Gobsmacking amazing.

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    1. jenny_o: Thank you. I prefer the individual shots as well. Which irritated my friend immensely. She was/is a big picture person. I am not.
      I thought the 'half' bird was entirely appropriate, and am glad you concur.
      Himself is still sorting photos. Multiple thousand photos...

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  43. Holy wow! Spring and all of her splendor! Thanks for sharing the big bloom where you are:)
    And that wall......oh what an amazing trek that would be. Gives me such wanderlust to see.
    Thanks for the sweet inspire!
    -jennifer

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    1. Jennifer Richardson: Spring is a joy isn't it? But so are the other seasons. Mostly.
      Isn't the wall incredible? Such an engineering feat, and so long lasting.

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  44. Your pergola and the flowers...wow...and the birds...beautiful and so glad you get to enjoy all of it...

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    1. e: Thank you. I am tired and hurting - and still smiling.

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  45. Hmmm - I'm thinking that flight was one of guilty conscience! :) Beautiful still - even with fewer blooms.

    Love the pergola.

    And amazing the difference in the crowds in the Great Wall photos. That must be something to behold in person.

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    1. Lynn: I suspect that birds are like cats and don't do the guilt thing. Which I envy.

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  46. I try not to play favorites, you know me, but I loved that fourth shot. Just saying.

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    1. Author R. Mac Wheeler: There are lots of those daisies. Lots and lots of them. And I love them too.

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  47. *sigh* You have the most beautiful flowers and garden.

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    1. mshatch: Thank you. It is warming up here and the garden is being neglected a bit. And it shows.

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  48. Himself got to see wondrous sites didn't he?
    Though when he looks at your garden, he's still seeing wondrous sites.

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    1. Sandra Cox: He did see some amazing things. I sent him photos from home, and felt a bit silly for doing so, but he tells me he loved it.

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  49. Wow, fascinating photos of the wall. I'm glad he went back and could actually see it.
    Take care of yourself, EC.

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    1. Rawknrobyn: I am glad he was able to go back too. And thank you.

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  50. Spring in fall! I love it. I really want to hit the Great Wall myself one day, but I had better get in shape first.

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    1. Crystal Collier: Summer is fast approaching here. I will be looking at snowy photos from your side of the world with envy. Lots of envy.

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  51. Wonderful flowers I do love the blue and purple ones.
    Merle..........

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    1. Merlesworld: Thank you. In an early morning garden wander this morning I spotted some more purple marvels. Watch this space...

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  52. Its funny how some of your garden flowers look like they've got faces and the purple one is sticking its orange tongue out at me - having a total laugh, so I'm joining in haha...

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    1. Spacer Guy: Of course plants have faces. And sometimes laugh at us. It seems totally reasonable to me.

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  53. Wonderful photos and Wow the Great Wall of China. Oh my goodness, I would have meditated on the wall. Oh and I didn't know that birds eat orchid buds. I wonder if we can eat them. I will have to pull that wild food book off the shelf and give it a look. I know the chive flowers are tasty in a salad.

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    1. Ginger Dawn Harman: The rotten birds didn't eat the orchid buds, merely snipped them off. I know that orchids are poisonous to cats (one of my brother's cats had an expensive vet stay) and wouldn't be surprised if they are bad for us too. I agree with you about chive flowers. Pansies and nasturiums are also tasty.

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  54. I know I would prefer the Great Wall on a non-crowded day. The crowd looks like too much for me!

    I adore your pictures of all the beautiful blooms. So pretty! The lighting on them really help give them an extra shine and sparkle. Just beautiful!
    ~Jess

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    1. DMS ~ Jess: I really couldn't cope with crowds like that. I am so glad he went back and showed us the almost timeless beauty of the Wall.
      And thank you so much for your kind comment about my gardening obsession.

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  55. Such beautiful flowers that you grow, loved the orange rose. Sad the orchid ruined by a wicked bird.
    The Great Wall...a wonderful sight to behold but definitely on a much less crowded day. So many tales to tell you on his return home.

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    1. Mimsie: That rose is an absolute beauty, and has many more blooms now. Scented too. Which all our roses were until someone who shall remain nameless but has recently returned from China purchased more.

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  56. What gorgeous flowers - spring is well and truly on its way!

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    1. Lady Fi: Spring is here - with summer in hot pursuit.

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  57. I'm late to the party, but I always enjoy seeing your flowers. Such beauty. I thought the second photo was my favorite but then there were the iris and the rose and - well you understand.

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    1. Mason Canyon: Thank you. I do understand. I can never decide either.

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  58. Your flowers are looking mighty fine!!

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    1. CountryMum: Thank you. Blood, sweat and tears make a good fertiliser.

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  59. We used to call the lilies "flags" and I have no idea why. They are so amazing.

    Your beloved is a brave man.

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    1. Susan Kane: We called them flag iris as well.
      The skinny one has met with astonishing kindness on his travels. And has only once (to my knowledge) met with the opposite.

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