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GBBD: July 08 - GTNI

In true Gardening Tips 'n Ideas fashion I've turned up fashionably late to the Garden Blogger Bloom Day carnival held each month by Carol. But I have an excuse.

Firstly, the cat ate all my flowers - Oops, I don't have a cat! Would you believe that next-doors cat ate all my flowers? Actually, they don't have a cat either. Okay, how about my whole garden was wiped out in a freak storm that touched only my yard leaving everyone else's unscathed? Still no?

Alright, you deserve the truth. My wife just got back after a week's holiday in Melbourne and I missed her terribly. So the last few days has been sitting around the fire slurping hot chocolates and talking like it no longer cost us anything - because it didn't. So the garden, and my blog, came off second best until I remembered that I was meant to snap a few pics of the blooms now on display.

So, here they are;

yellow-daffodil.jpg The daffodils are already starting to bloom turning the bleak understorey of our Silver Birches into a glow of yellow.
tulip-buds.jpg These are some of the potted tulip bulbs I received for my birthday last month. While they're not open yet they are getting very close.
hellebores.jpg My faithful Hellebores keep flowering year after year with very little maintenance. This is this ones third season and every year it seems to be more bountiful than the last.
new-bromeliad.jpg This is a new bromeliad that my Mum gave me last weekend. I haven't planted it in the ground just yet but it will be destined for our tropical garden. This is my third bromeliad now - maybe it's time to start collecting them?
red-cabbage.jpg One of the few red cabbages that survived the slater onslaught. The ones I planted in containers staved off the slaters only to be consumed by aphids. Oh the joy!
strawberry-flowers.jpg Someone obviously forgot to tell my strawberry plants that it was winter. These plants have been flowering their heads off for the past month or two but none have ripened. We'll have to wait for summer for that - if they haven't worn themselves out by then, that is!
leptospermum.jpg If I had more space in my garden that enjoyed full-sun then leptospermums would rule. This time of the year when most of our plants lay dormant these natives go out of their way to colour the garden.
kalanchoe-buds.jpg I'm starting to find greater beauty in the buds of many plants than in the actual flowers. These from my Kalanchoe "Quicksilver" are so dainty and intriguing.
lime-flower.jpg The definition of HOPE: all the buds from my lime tree fell off before setting fruit last season so to see it in full bud again is quite exciting. Hopefully they will grow this year.
cumquat-fruit.jpg Finally, my little cumquat trees are setting fruit again. Ah, more marmalade...




Posted by Stuart on July 17, 2008 7:17 AM | | Check to Subscribe to this Comment:


Comments

Better late than never Stuart. Your GBBD blooms are beautiful. It surprised me to see daffodils at first. We get them in February.

Posted by: Perennialgardenlover | July 17, 2008 9:31 AM

All your blooms are lovely -- it's wonderful to see daffs in bloom again! That's one of the many perks of this Blotanical community - that we can share whatever is blooming at any given time, all over the world! :) While you're sipping chocolate in front of the fire, we're fanning ourselves in 30° days! Diversity...gotta love it.

Posted by: Nancy Bond | July 17, 2008 10:26 AM

Stuart, what a lovely, romantic reason to pospone your post - sipping hot chocolate by the fire, enjoying your wife's company after a week apart.

Your blooms are lovely, as are your photos.

Posted by: linda | July 17, 2008 11:46 AM

Gorgeous, Stuart. The Heliabore is bizarre but attractive. One of my faves.

Posted by: Steve | July 17, 2008 2:14 PM

Reading your post today, reminded me of the great distance betwwen our countries. You, starting Spring and us up here in the midst of summer Summer... Gives you a thought, doesn't it?It's great to see some daffodils and tulips again...
/Katarina

Posted by: Katarina (Roses and stuff) | July 17, 2008 2:18 PM

Hi Stuart....lovely Spring flowers and fruit starting. Like you, I think buds are beautiful.

A little bird told us it was your birthday, so feliz cumpleanos, as we say in these parts - have a wonderful day.

Posted by: Lady Luz | July 17, 2008 2:23 PM

Daffodils are one of my favourite flowers, great to see them again, I had forgoten you were in the southern hemisphere and now its spring!

Posted by: Zoë | July 17, 2008 5:07 PM

I echo the above comments about forgetting that you are just starting spring. Thank you Stuart for reminding me, I will now think of my 2 year old grandson (who lives in Sidney) enjoying daffodils and your tulips are nearly out. I like the hellebore!

Best wishes Sylvia (England)

Posted by: Sylvia (England) | July 17, 2008 5:33 PM

it funny to me to see daffodils in flower - I always forget that your seasons are different

Posted by: Helen (aka patientgardener) | July 17, 2008 8:28 PM

It seems you are in good gardening company ... many of us were fashionably late for GBBD this month.

Posted by: Crafty Gardener | July 19, 2008 4:45 AM

Yes, Stuart you should plant more bromeliads, they are so easy to look after and so beautiful. Come in my garden and I can give you many beautiful pups!
Stuart, I hate to say this, but I am still left out. I have changed everything it does not work could you have one more look if you have time?
Thank you trudi.

Posted by: Trudi | July 19, 2008 7:10 AM

I really like those kalanchoe buds, too. Very nice.

And that's the perfect reason to postpone your GBBD post, of course. (And to make all of your female readers say, "Awww..." lol.)

Posted by: Blackswampgirl Kim | July 20, 2008 1:45 PM

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