Horrendously hot, windy weather has been circling right round Australia over the past 2 weeks bringing with it hundreds of out of control bush fires. Today it has reached Queensland and the forecast is for a week of high temperatures and strong, gusty winds. Fires are still raging in NSW and Victoria. Now we are on high alert.
It is my ritual to wander around the garden before breakfast and before the heat of the Queensland summer builds up.
Come with me and see what I found flowering at this time of the year in our tropical Queensland patch of paradise.
Bromeliads are a favourite plant of mine. They love this hot humid climate, needing very little water, they are happy just to have water in the well made by the leaves, and the flower spikes last for weeks.
The ferns on the other hand need moisture and shade so they are clustered under the shade of a group of trees and watered regularly. This group of ferns self seeded in the rocks, I doubt if I could’ve grown them there as a transplant.
The Grevillea are a hardy group of beautiful Australian natives. The birds love them because they are dripping with nectar.
The early morning sun beautifully highlights these Heliconia as though they have a light inside them.
Then I walked round the corner and found the batplant’s whiskery face gazing out at me from under its broad protective leaves. It was the highlight of my walk and I had to share it with you so rushed inside for the camera.
I hope you have enjoyed your stroll with me around a small part of our garden.
Now I am going to find a cool place to spend the rest of the day.
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fabulous photos – love the close up of the grevillea !
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Thank you, grevilleas are such an unusual shape they make great photo subjects
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Agreed, I’ve got lots too 🙂
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thank you so much for that refreshing stroll! you introduced me to flowers that i’ve never seen before! the grevellia is lovely! i wonder if they have transplanted over to ecuador; i’ll have to see if it’s in a botanical garden somewhere in this country!
your finale is a stunner! thank you so much for sharing! your garden is an oasis!
lisa/z
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Pleased you enjoyed the stroll Lisa. I think you may find Grevellias in your country there are literally hundreds of species. they grow in all the different sub-climates in Australia. I have seen them in the wild in all parts of Australia.
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Beautiful garden and lots of really unusual plants too that clearly wouldn’t grown in a very wet Devon climate! My Dad will be quite envious
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I tried cottage garden style when I came here, no good, all those pomme plants just withered and died in the heat and humidity…
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The bat plant is very aptly named isn’t it…it looks so like a bat; a bit like the bee orchid, which also looks so like its namesake. Nature is so wonderful. Stay cool and stay safe, the bush fires are big news on the Briitish news and also on the Spanish news too and they look terrifying, I hope they burn themselves out soon.
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Yes nature is wonderful. Have yoy got your water back on? The bush fires are very bad this year as they are affecting so much of Australia.
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Hi Hope you had great Christmas we took the van to our daughters for two weeks she lives in mt Jerulsum national park at Mullumbimby such a beautiful spot.We are back at Proserpine now in O’Connell river caravan park were I met you.Been lots of over nighters.Was so dry when we left just before Christmas now it’s beautiful and green after having 100 mls rain in 24hours.Thanks for showing me your glorious garden.You must miss it on your travels.
Stay cool in this heat.
Chris
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Hi Chris pleased you dropped by for a look around our garden. How hot is it in Proserpine? Hope you keep safe over the next few weeks of the hot and dangerous bush fire season. We could do with some of that rain down here…
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I enjoyed the stroll around your garden 🙂
Stay cool!
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Welcome to my world I enjoyed having your company on the stroll!!!
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Beautiful plants in your garden, Pommepal. That Bat Plant is amazing. First time I’ve seen one. 🙂 Keep cool if that’s possible. 🙂
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The bat plant is quite amazing to look at. I have 3 plants in different parts of the garden. I’m sitting between 2 fans at the moment, there are gale force winds blowing outside so I am enjoying visiting my blogosphere friends, so pleased we now have cable internet. (installed last Friday) I am in computer heaven…
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Exquisite! I saw the Heliconia in the Amzon and had no idea what it was until just reading your post. There’s a photo of it on my Amazon post. Splendid garden & photos!
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Thanks Cindy, I always think they look artificial, almost to perfect to be true
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