Saturday 25 October 2008

Come for a stroll...

into my spring garden;


Early morning, it is going to be a fine day...
Please click the pictures for details.




First we have a look at the Agapanthus. They are just starting to flower. Some are still tight and secure in their "sleeping bags"... yes, most of them I have grown from seed over the years. Most of the time they do all the work. They scatter the seed and I can collect the seedlings grow them on in pots and when they are big enough plant them out into the garden.

The Agapanthus are an attractive bunch at any stage...

Agapanthus ("Lily of the Nile") is a genus of flower plants with six to ten species depending on how the different species are classified. They are all herbaceous perennial plants native to South Africa. They have been placed either in the family Alliaceae, or separated into their own monogeneric family Agapanthaceae (e.g. Indices Nominum Supragenericorum Plantarum Vascularium).
Members of the genus have funnel-shaped
flowers, in varying shades of blue colors with white flowering forms occurring. The species have been hybridized to produce additional colors in plants under cultivation. The flowers are produced in many-flowered cymes on long, erect stems called scapes, which can grow up 1 m long. The basal leaves are curved, lanceolate, and are up to 60 cm long.



Come we go past the Melaleuca, its papery bark is nice to touch...



Look here grows a Hoya. She has found her way under the canopy of a Wisteria...





This old fashioned climbing rose is still out in full force displaying its bunches of sweeties...

Ah, my little helper...where are your companions?




Have you seen the tall Lilies, no unfortunately they are not yet in flower, perhaps next week...
colour...white and beautifully scented...


We are going down here...to see...


the new fronds of the upside down fern...yes, this is a very hardy fern, it thrives in a moist, shady spot... but it doesn't really mind the sun.


Oh, look here a praying mantis in the Jasmin...a typical Aussie...upside down...


Look at the tiny bunches of grapes....when are they ripe.... if the weather is favourable at the end of December...yum...


I like the Coreopsis they look so cheerful. Yes they are ever present in spring through early summer...


You should not leave before you had a look at my day lilies. "Bold encounter" is one of the new ones I planted last winter...



Let me have a look at this wonderful blue...this is the blue bog salvia. The easiest plant to grow. It prefers a wet or moist place but will also grow in a dry area. It has just started to bloom and will do so over the long, hot summer... it needs a bit of a haircut from time to time and it also likes to run....


Come this way... I think I have to go now...


Yes, I know it is time to go, but quickly have a look at those...


Come on, have a game with me...about time...


Believe it or not:
You have achieved success if you have lived well, laughed often and loved much." - Author Unknown


Organic tip of the week; white tea is supposed to be very good for you; it is also very nice to drink when it is brewed correctly.

White tea is tea manufactured by a process that uses relatively low heat and no rolling. The formative stage is an extended period of withering, during which enzymatic reactions progress under the right temperature, humidity and airflow. The key is to get the fresh leaves to mature properly with minimal oxidation. White tea usually contains buds and young tea leaves, which have been found to contain lower levels of caffeine than older leaves, suggesting that the caffeine content of some white teas may be slightly lower than that of green teas.

White tea is a specialty of the Chinese province Fujian. The leaves come from a number of varieties of tea cultivars. The most popular are Da Bai (Large White), Xiao Bai (Small White), Narcissus and Chaicha bushes. According to the different standards of picking and selection, white teas can be classified into a number of grades, further described in the varieties section.
Ceylon White: A highly prized tea grown in Sri Lanka. Ceylon White tea can fetch much higher prices than black tea from the area. The tea has a very light liquoring with notes of pine and honey and a golden coppery infusion.
Darjeeling White: It has a delicate aroma and brews to a pale golden cup with a mellow taste and a hint of sweetness. This tea is particularly fluffy and light. A tea from Darjeeling, India.
Assam White: White tea production in the Assam region is rare. Much lighter in body than the traditional black teas, a white Assam yields a refined infusion that is naturally sweet with a distinct malty character.
African White: Produced in minuscule amounts in Malawi and Kenya, mostly as silver needles (Yin Zhen) type made of assamensis buds; usually higher in caffeine und richer in flavour than Chinese whites, sometimes approaching yellow teas, and often changing flavours in the cup.
White Puerh Tea: Harvested in the spring from plantations found high on remote mountain peaks of Yunnan Province, China. Incredibly labor intensive with each step processed by hand, these luxury whites are wonderfully rich in fragrance, and possess an alluring, sweet nectar-like quality. Wikipedia


Thank you for the visit and come again!

Copyright: T.S. Photos T.S.





















28 comments:

Pia K said...

That top morning pic is gorgeous! And well, the others aren't half bad either...;) I love hoyas, the fragrance is so wonderful. To have all that flowery and green abundance just outside one's door, how amazing.

And wee doggie, adorable, what's his (?) name?

I drink loads of tea, but I still keep prefering the black ones, can't stand the taste of rooibos, green teas tend to taste like grass and whites have unfortunately left be wanting for more taste and... oomf. A matter of taste I suppose:)

Have a good weekend!

Anonymous said...

this is a refreshing change from fall in my area.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the stroll around your garden. I am still getting used to the fact that it is tomorrow where you are and not Autumn.
I like your day lilies - Bold Encounter - what wonderful colours.
K

Webradio said...

Quelle jolie ballade chez Toi, avec toutes ces photos et ces fleurs... Même le chien est content de se promener...

Anonymous said...

Hi Titania, thanks for that refreshing walk. I love thinking that you are in spring now, I look forward to seeing your daylilies, that new one is a winner. I love seeing the agapanthus at all stages too. There are rumored to be some that are hardy here in my zone 7 garden. I need to find out which one. And the bog sage can survive some dry too? Hooray!

Frances
http://fairegarden.wordpress.com/

Anonymous said...

It's lovely to see the Hoya in a more natural setting. Mine is in my conservatory but I do wish I could see it growing with other plants on its home ground.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Hi Pia, thank you for joining me on my stroll through the garden. Yes, Tea drinking is a habit what one is used too. I quite like white tea, and I don't mind green tea but in general I drink black tea with lots of milk or Chai which I really like best, but like you said it is a matter of taste.
Wee doggies name is "Billy".

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Donna, I have to remind myself that in your part of the world the leaves are falling. Thank you for stopping by.

Thank you Karen; I have the same problem, well they say we are a weired lot!

Webradio, mercie beaucoup pour la visite et de ta commentaire gentille.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Frances thank you for your comment. If you were living a little closer I could give you some. I have just bought a few more fantastic Salvias. They are heat tolerant but also to a certain degree cold tolerant. I will post them later on. Most of them are very water wise.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

easygardener, thank you for coming along; here the Hoyas grow up the trees and flower abundantly. They are such lovely, easy plants with gorgeous flowers well worth to have in the conservatory.

Maria said...

Titania, the caves are limestone and frozen melting water, ICE!

Unknown said...

And what a stroll it was, Trudi. As usual the loveliest of blooms...

I'm a big tea drinker but never heard of White Assam. Thanks for mentioning it...will find out more.

Have a lovely Sunday!

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Thank you Kanak for stopping by. I am always happy to see you strolling in my garden. T.

Ewa said...

This is great to see your spring while we are in autumn. It will be good way to survive winter :)
Hoya - which we grow as house plant only - growing under wisteria - that is the combination I would never think of :)
Thank you for good wishes for Atomik :)
Greetings from Poland,
Ewa

murgelchen said...

Hi Titania,
it´s a wonderful walk in your garden.
We have autum, brr... it´s cold.

LG,
Helga

Katarina said...

Titania, what a fabulous spring garden you have! I've really enjoyed strolling through it in your company.
Katarina

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Titania: What a wonderful walk through an exciting garden ablaze with color.

MedaM said...

What a wonderful flower’s garden you have! I am impressed! It’s like a paradise; full of various and so lovely flowers. Thanks for let me in to enjoy that beauty!

chaiselongue said...

Thanks for the lovely spring pictures - a reminder for us on this side of the world that the cycle will come round again.

Gill - That British Woman said...

stunning photos.......

Gill in Canada

Pearl Maple said...

Titania beautiful photos from the garden this week (well every week really) always refreshing to stop by your garden to see what is blooming.

Jasmine Jasmine said...

Hey I heard on a TV show (oops, I mean the telly) that the Australian navy is the only government in the world that pays for breast enhancement surgery!

What a beautiful walk. I was stunned by some of the flowers you can grow there! We don't grow hoya in Chicago! I can just smell those old climbing roses. Thanks for a break from the falling leaves and hues of red, orange and yellow.

Anonymous said...

That Hoya is scrumptious and I imagine it's scent is devine! Can these also be called "wax plants" or am I mistaken? Your garden is so amazing and inspires me every time I see it!

Barbara said...

So schön, dieser Spaziergang durch deinen Frühlingsgarten mit den vielen fremdartigen exotischen Schönheiten. Ich liebe Agapanthus und habe gerade vorhin meine 13 Töpfe in die Nähe des Hauses gerückt, da sie ja bei uns nicht ganz winterhart sind. Mir ist es noch nie gelungen welche aus Samen zu ziehen. Ich kaufe deshalb die Knollen...und warte auch bis zur ersten Blüte.
En schöne Sunntig und es liebs Grüessli,
Barbara

Julie said...

Two things that make living a joy is walking through a garden and being up early in the morning. For me your blog always combines these two and it gives me much pleasure. I have two pocket handkerchief gardens and following your example I am managing to get plants in every nook'n'cranny.

Thank you ...

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Hi Michelle, good to see you in my garden. You are right a Hoya is also called a wax plant, because the flowers look like carved from wax.
Liebe Barbara, danke sehr fuer deinen Besuch. Ja, ich weiss noch im kalten Klima hat man diese jeweils in Kuebeln und Toepfen gehalten. LG. T.

Thank you Julie for visiting my garden.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Thank you to all for your kind,
lovely and interesting comments.

Kerri said...

It looks like a bright, sunny morning, with the light shining through the leaves. Just the thing...an early stroll in the garden! How delightful all your plants are, and that border seems to stretch a long way. Oh, a wonderful hoya, and the agapanthus...so lovely! How nice to have them seed themselves. I've never grown one. So many gorgeous Amaryllis, and the blue of that bog salvia..heavenly!
And now we have time to play with your little friend, and perhaps a nice cup of white tea. Mmmm :)
Thank you!