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. This week? We were very, very busy while himself's sister was with us. I took well over 1000 photos, so for a little while Sunday Selections are all going to come from the Tommy Tourist trail. While she was here we went back to Enlighten (which will get a post of its own), saw the balloons rise (which was very, very lucky because the weather has grounded them on all but two days), went to the lake several times, went to the Botanic Gardens and Telstra Tower, went to the markets and the glass works and saw an exhibition at the National Gallery (probably another post on its own). She has gone home, and I am in recovery mode.
After watching the balloons take to the air (and they will also get a post of their own) we wandered into the Parliamentary Rose Gardens which are attached to our old Parliament House. Old Parliament House is now officially called The Museum of Democracy but I haven't heard the term used by the general public. Whatever the name, its gardens are a lovely spot. Wasted on the pollies (then and now)
.
As I commented last time we visited these gardens, the manure spread by our politicians is obviously very, very good for roses. The gardens used to be restricted to the politicians and staffers, but are now open to the public. And many a wedding is held here.
Today is the last day of the Balloon Spectacular so my brother and I will be heading off before dawn in the hopes that they will fly. I hope so. I really hope so.
PS: I am home again. Yet again the balloons didn't take to the air. Which is sad. For everyone.
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. This week? We were very, very busy while himself's sister was with us. I took well over 1000 photos, so for a little while Sunday Selections are all going to come from the Tommy Tourist trail. While she was here we went back to Enlighten (which will get a post of its own), saw the balloons rise (which was very, very lucky because the weather has grounded them on all but two days), went to the lake several times, went to the Botanic Gardens and Telstra Tower, went to the markets and the glass works and saw an exhibition at the National Gallery (probably another post on its own). She has gone home, and I am in recovery mode.
After watching the balloons take to the air (and they will also get a post of their own) we wandered into the Parliamentary Rose Gardens which are attached to our old Parliament House. Old Parliament House is now officially called The Museum of Democracy but I haven't heard the term used by the general public. Whatever the name, its gardens are a lovely spot. Wasted on the pollies (then and now)
.
As I commented last time we visited these gardens, the manure spread by our politicians is obviously very, very good for roses. The gardens used to be restricted to the politicians and staffers, but are now open to the public. And many a wedding is held here.
Today is the last day of the Balloon Spectacular so my brother and I will be heading off before dawn in the hopes that they will fly. I hope so. I really hope so.
PS: I am home again. Yet again the balloons didn't take to the air. Which is sad. For everyone.
Dear EC
ReplyDeleteBeautiful roses - I can well understand wanting a wedding here.
Best wishes
Ellie
Ellie Foster: They are beautiful - and look much, much better than the roses in my own garden.
DeleteLove your Roses, the garden is excellent EC.
ReplyDeleteBob Bushell: I wish my roses looked this good.
DeleteSo pleased this is now a public domain.
ReplyDeletedinahmow: Yes.
DeleteMy daughter was all set to have her wedding in the rose garden at the botanical gardens here but she cancelled the wedding 10 days before. She married someone else 5 years later. Roses take so much care but are so pretty
ReplyDeleteSue in Italia/In the Land of Cancer: It must have taken some courage to cancel her wedding so close to the day.
DeleteAnd yes, roses are pretty. And ours don't get the work they deserve/need.
The rose garden is great. I've not visited Old Parliament House. Must do so. Pity about the balloons, but we can't control the weather.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: There is another equally beautiful rose garden on the other side of Old Parliament House. I am so grateful that I saw the balloons launch. The brother I went with today didn't see them this year. Sad for another balloon tragic.
DeleteSuch lovely blooms! Ha, politician's and manure--you should see that here!!!!!
ReplyDeleteBookie: The roses obviously thrive on it - something has to.
DeleteAh, well. They went up once and you were there.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Noragon: We were so very lucky. And grateful.
Deletethis garden is a masterpiece
ReplyDeleteGosia k: It is lovely. Even so early in the day (I think it was around 7am) there were people sitting in it soaking in the beauty.
DeleteStunning piece of art. For it is art after all. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
A Cuban in London: Definitely art. And art to appreciate.
DeleteThose roses are stunning. Bonsai, orchids and roses - three things I can't keep alive.
ReplyDeletedonna baker: My bete noir's in the garden world are gardenias and maiden hair ferns. I no longer buy them out of shame.
DeleteThe gardens are beautiful. Politicians did a great job fertilizing them. Lol. Ours could do well with the gardens here too.
ReplyDeleteMarie Smith: Isn't it nice to know that there is something positive that the politicians do well.
DeleteA rosy start to the day! It's a wet start to the day here, and I'm not complaining. Storms throughout the night decided it was time to open the floodgates in the clouds. Wonderful! Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a good week, EC...cuddles to Jazz, who has probably come back out of the wardrobe now your guest has left. :)
Lee: That particular day was lovely. Balloons, a great sunrise, roses, kangaroos and more. Jazz is out of the wardrobe but is in toilet town. He has been flexing his claws in me. Repeatedly. Despite pats and cuddles.
DeleteI know you love the balloons so I'm sorry you didn't get to see them go up. Disappointing.
ReplyDeleteHas Jazz come out of hiding?
Birdie: Luckily I saw the balloons on one of the days there were able to fly. My poor brother didn't.
DeleteJazz is his usual difficult, beautiful and enchanting self. And vicious with it. To some.
I compliment you and thank you for these beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteMartin Kloess: Thank you so much.
DeleteWhat gorgeous roses. It would be impossible to decide which one I like best. And no weeds, I expect - not in the gardens, anyway :)
ReplyDeleteI have never made it to the balloon festival which takes place in Hamilton every autumn. It is an hour and a half's drive away, and would require a very early start indeed - and I just don't trust the weather enough to risk it. I'm sad you didn't see them fly this year.
Alexia: No weeds. Which is more than can be said for my garden. Which is calling my name.
DeleteLuckily I did see the balloons, and I am grateful.
Such fabulous roses. And I'm so sorry the balloons didn't rise again today. That's what happens with these underpowered devices such as hot air balloons. :-(
ReplyDeleteDJan: The balloons will be back next year, when hopefully the weather will be kinder.
DeleteThe rose garden is very lovely; the individual rose bloom photos are fabulous! I think they'd look lovely framed and hung in my bedroom.
ReplyDeleteToo bad about the balloons, what kind of weather conditions would be too harsh for them? Too windy? Too wet?
River: Gusty wind conditions are difficult. Very windy conditions. Rain. Lightening. I think for most of the festival it was wind gusts which were the problem. We were so lucky to be there with his sister on one of the only two days they flew. And the roses are lovely aren't they? Doing so much better than mine.
DeleteThese are just gorgeous! Mmph...my wife keeps telling me I need to do more photography and seeing photos like these...I just might have to. These are just so amazing. :)
ReplyDeleteRobert Bennett: Only if you can spare the time from writing. I really enjoy the products of your fertile mind.
DeleteThat rose garden is wonderful and I bet it smells wonderful too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pity about the balloons the weather is just not much good at the moment for much at all.
Merle.................
Merlesworld: Even early in the morning the gardens smelt lovely. Under full sun I think the scent would have been intoxicating.
DeleteI love visiting rose gardens! Though my eyes think they are lovely I am lead through them by my nose.
ReplyDeleteAnne in the kitchen: I so agree. And a rose without scent is a travesty in my eyes.
DeleteSorry you didn't get to see the balloons fly but thank you for all these gorgeous photographs. Love the flowers and I am so looking forward to seeing ours soon. Can't wait to be able to visit the gardens again.
ReplyDeleteDenise inVA: Fortunately I did see the balloons earlier in the week. I do hope that you get to the gardens soon and hope that Gregg's birthday was wonderful.
DeleteI adore rose gardens! I wish there was one around me but no.
ReplyDeleteI became exhausted just reading your paragraph on all the things you did. I hope you recover quickly!
It's too bad the balloons didn't fly this morning but at least you got to see them the other day. I look forward to the future posts as a way of living vicariously through your jaunts. :)
River Fairchild: It was a very, very busy few days. Interspersed with domestic duties. It will take a while, but I will emerge again.
DeleteI loved the gardens - and am so very grateful we saw the balloons. There is always a day or two during the festival where they don't fly, but this year was exceptionally sad.
The rose gardens look amazing. Imagine not being able to go there as an ordinary citizen at one time. It's good that it has changed.
ReplyDeleteWould the people or companies who own the balloons travel to other places to exhibit them as well? If not, it seems like a lot of work to be pre-empted by the weather. I'm glad you got to see them one day at least, and look forward to your post. Also looking forward to the posts of your other expeditions. You were very busy by anyone's standards. I would be on the couch for a week after all that, at a minimum. Take care of yourself.
jenny_o: I am also really glad that the gardens have been opened up to the general populace. They are truly lovely.
DeleteI hope that the balloons do have another venue to go to. It was disappointing for lots of us not to see them in the air, but financially damaging for lots of the participants, in particular for the two that came from overseas.
And yes, I am a very tired puppy.
That's too bad on the balloons again. Their flights are so weather dependent. But the roses are very beautiful. I've always loved their colors and soft petals. I like the yellow one, the red ones and the pink ones very much.
ReplyDeleteStrayer: I loved the roses, and took many, many photos of them.
DeleteHi EC - what a lovely spot, which is I hope is restful for a lovely stroll, or just a'seating to let the world wash by, with beautiful scents abounding ...
ReplyDeleteSorry about the balloons not flying ... frustrating ... but loved the roses all the same - cheers Hilary
Hilary Melton-Butcher: It is a lovely spot. We were lucky and DID see the balloons this year, which many didn't.
DeleteSorry to hear that the balloons didn't fly. But the roses on the ground are a beautiful compensation. And gorgeous on their own too :) esp the yellow one, love yellow roses particularly.
ReplyDeleteNilanjana Bose: I have a big weakness for yellow roses too.
DeleteSorry about the balloons.
ReplyDeleteNice the gardens are open for everyone now.
Alex J. Cavanaugh: I am sorry that so few people saw the balloons this year, and grateful that we did. And yes, it is wonderful that the gardens are now open to all.
DeleteOur temperatures have been in the 20s at night and mainly high 40s during the day so your beautiful photos are a wonderful reminder there is warmer weather. So looking forward to your balloon photos. You have a gift in sharing love through your photos.
ReplyDeleteMason Canyon: Thank you. I am a beauty addict, find it everywhere and am happy to share.
DeleteFingers crossed for them taking off today. If they still can, I hope so! I love the orange rose with pink edges. Gorgeous item. X
ReplyDeleteAll Consuming: The balloons didn't rise yesterday. Next year. How lucky we were to see them on one of only two days they flew this time round.
DeleteOne yellow rose looks like the tissue flowers we used to make. So delicate.
ReplyDeleteGranny Annie: I was never skilled at making those flowers - and admired those who could.
DeleteSo sorry you and your brother didn't get to see the balloons take to the air this morning! I am sure there were a lot of disappointed people!
ReplyDeleteThose gardens are beautiful. I am so glad that they are no longer only for the politicians and staff- that seemed like an unfair policy (especially since they involve money to upkeep- so seems to me everyone should get to enjoy them).
Your photos have me even more anxious for the snow to melt so I can start to see the world come alive again. :)
~Jess
DMS ~ Jess: I am sorry that the brother (and rather a lot of other people) missed out this year. We were very lucky and the day we took himself's sister to the launch they did fly.
DeleteI hope your world is waking up. And waking up in a good mood.
Some of the photos are not showing up for me :-(
ReplyDeleteBut the ones that did, oh, how I wanted to lick my screen. Flowers are delicious to the eye.
Only a day or two ago, I was thinking of the many colours of roses.
neena maiya (guyana gyal): I am sorry that some of the photos refused to open. And how I agree, flowers are totally delicious to see.
Deleteyou have me missing all my roses in california, I may just have to plant a few this year. I can almost smell their fragrance.
ReplyDeleteLinda Starr: I hope you can. The fragrance of a rose is truly special.
DeleteIt would be a beautiful place for a wedding.....
ReplyDeleteor just a walk.
I'm sorry you missed the balloons but I suspect that their unpredictability is part of their charm?
kylie: We thoroughly enjoyed our wander, and there were other people also smiling broadly. I am not certain whether balloon flight unpredictability adds to their charm - but so grateful that we did see them the week before. It was sad to miss them yesterday. The brother in question rang a little while ago mourning that today is a perfect flying day.
DeleteI'll bet those roses smell divine!
ReplyDeleteAnd that is a disappointment - not getting to see the balloons. I remember posts from other years in which you have shown photos of them. Always so lovely.
Lynn: Even early the roses smelt wonderful. There will be a balloon post. A lucky balloon post. Himself, his sister and I were present on one of the few days they did launch.
DeleteWhat a so very lovely rose garden. The roses looks really beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt was sad to hear that the balloons didn't take to the air. I've been once in ball in Switzerland, and our ball rose only a little way,
to the extent that i knew to be in the balloon and in the air.
orvokki: It is a delightful garden. I have flown in balloons a few times now, and cherish the memory. I don't think I could get into the basket now and am so grateful that when I could I did.
DeleteOh my goodness, what a beautiful garden. I especially like the border of white rose bushes. I imagine you have lovely scents as you walked around. Do you ever go there with a book and find a cozy spot to read?
ReplyDeleteGinger Dawn Harman: You have just reminded me that I do very little reading outside. A mistake. Thank you.
DeleteAh, I love roses. Okay. I love all flowers and I love taking pics of them. I, too, once devoted a whole post to the roses of Leu Gardens in Florida. They are incredible, from the moment they first poke their lovely buds out to prime bloomage! Can't wait to see more :)
ReplyDeletemshatch: Snap - on the loving flowers and loving photographing them. When I see (and smell) the beauty of roses I forgive them for the snagging of my flesh which goes with pruning them.
DeleteThat garden is gorgeous, I would love to stroll through those wondrous roses. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteTruedessa: Isn't it lovely? There is another garden on the other side of the building, also full of roses, which is equally beautiful.
DeleteI am sorry the balloons were grounded due to weather but the gardens and roses are inspiring. The pols do not deserve them.
ReplyDeletee: I agree that the politicians don't deserve the gardens. I suspect they have similar beauty at our New Parliament House - and am very glad that these gardens have been given to the people. Balloons are so very weather dependent. At least they flew on two days - and we saw one of them.
DeleteIsn't that wonderful that the garden is now open to the public, just totally wasted on the pollies in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteMargaret-whiteangel: You will get no arguments from me on that front. None.
DeleteThe politicos' b.s. sure made some remarkable-looking roses. Glad everyone is now able to visit the botanic garden. Thank you for sharing these lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteBea: The politicians have to be good for something. And the roses, hundreds of them, are beautiful.
Deleteawww, no baloons
ReplyDeleteAuthor R. Mac Wheeler: There were balloons - but not that day.
DeleteI love visiting gardens. These are so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAnd if it's manure spread by politicians that make them beautiful the flowers should be bursting with color over here.
Sandra Cox: I think that politician's manure is much the same the world over. And at least is good for something.
DeleteIndeed:)
DeleteOut of manure comes beauty. And look at those roses! I could almost smell them as I scrolled through your pictures.
ReplyDeletecleemckenzie: There is a lot of truth in your first sentence. And I wish that I could spread the perfume from this garden across the blogosphere.
DeleteToo bad about the balloons, but the flowers are beautiful! We should stat to see some in about two months. I'm already getting excited about it.
ReplyDeleteJono: Spring is incredibly exciting isn't it? I am looking forward to marvelling at yours.
DeleteSorry the balloons didn't take to the skies, but the flowers picked up my spirits. For that, I'm grateful. I'm glad you've been having a fun-filled time with Himself's sis too.
ReplyDeleteRawknrobyn: The roses lifted our spirits too. And they were already high because the morning we saw the roses we also saw balloons.
DeleteGood times with your sis-in-law! Amazing roses!
ReplyDeleteSusan Kane: Certainly very busy times. I hope you are getting better.
DeleteYou have been busy! Gorgeous shots of the gardens.
ReplyDeleteLady Fi: Thank you.
DeleteI love roses but I'm also a low maintenance gardener:)
ReplyDeleteWhat to do. What to do.
The Knockouts aren't too bad.
Sandra Cox: Roses don't require tooooo much maintenance here. Some pruning (dangerous) some watering. Mind you, my roses don't ever match those in the Parliamentary Gardens so I am obviously talking rubbish.
DeleteSuch beautiful flowers. Sorry the balloons didn't rise.
ReplyDeleteBut I am glad we finally found a good way to use politician's manure!
Myrna R.: It is a wonderful use of what seems to be an inexhaustible supply of manure isn't it?
Delete