Christmas Morning in the Garden.

Its been a while (March) since I added an entry to this blog, so I thought I might sneak one in before the year had gone. 

On Christmas morning, before the family start to arrive for lunch, I did a quick run around the garden to get this lot together.  Lets hope I can get out more in 2016.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Native Hibiscus

Euphorbia milii  -  Crown of Thorns, Christ Plant, Christ Thorn,  with visitor.

Yet to find a name for this plant.

Bursaria spinosa  -  Sweet Bursaria, Black Thorn.     (native)

Bursaria spinosa  -  Sweet Bursaria, Black Thorn.     (native)

Brillantaisia nitens  -  

Tropical Giant Salvia. Billantaisia nitens  -  Tropical Giant Salvia.

Bromeliad

Bromeliad flower.

Brassia verrucosa  -  Warty Brassia.
Orchid native to Central and South America.

Cyclamen

Some of our salvias  (far right, Salvia uliginosa  -  Bog Sage).

More salvias   (Salvia micophylla  -  'Hotlips', top left)

Strawberry flower

Fruits of Ardisia crenata  -  Coral Ardisia.

Campanula  -  Bellflower

Anigozanthos flavidus  -  Kangaroo Paw  (native).

Peace Lily

Goodenia ovata  -  Hop Goodenia  (native)

Crinum pedunculatum  -  Swamp Lily.     (native)

Fuchsia

Calibrachoa hybrid  (similar to 'Million Bells')

Banksia serrata  -  Old Man Banksia  (native in the Sydney region).

Banksia Robur  -  Swamp Banksia.       (native)

Glycine sp.  (local native)

Cactus flower.....blink and its gone.

Native Violet  (Viola hederacea)

Correa  (native)

Zephyranthes candida  -  Storm Lilly.

Zephyranthes grandifolia  -  Rain Lily

NSW Christmas Bush.

Dieing leaf of the Native Lasiandra (Melastoma affine).

Plectranthus sp.,  local native.

Justicia carnea  -  Jacobinia, Flamingo Flower, Brazilian Plume.

FEATHERS, FUR and FANG.                 Some Of The Wildlife Seen Today.

Rainbow Lorikeet.

Crested Pigeon

Eastern Water-skink.

Dragon Fly.

A friendly fly.

Galah

King Parrot, male and female.

Native bee, Lipotriches sp. in a night roosting group.

Native bee, Lipotriches sp. 

Camera:  Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Our Home Garden.

It was too hot to go out the other Friday, today it was too wet (plus strong winds and possible hail) to go any distance. Not wanting to have 2 blank Fridays I did a quick dash around our home garden in between rain showers. 

Even though all these plant are in our own garden, I haven't always recorded the names and therefore some of the plants will just have a generic family name.

A Hoya, which is growing in a pot in the fork of a Firewheel Tree.

Iberis  -  Candytuft.  These are self-sown from plants I first grew last year. 

Epidendrum ibaguense  -  Crucifix Orchid.

Crinum pedunculatum  -  Swamp Lilly  (native).

Desmodium varians  -  Slender Tick-trefoil  (native).

Sedum 'Gold Mound'.

Plectranthus parviflorus  -  Cockspur Flower  (native).

Flower of Tillandsia usneoides  -  Spanish Moss, Grey beard, Old Man's Beard.

Hibiscus geranioides  -  Geranium-leaf Hibiscus  (native).

Pansies.

The smaller fertile flowers of a 'lacecap'  Hydrangea begin to open.

The larger sterile flowers of the same plant  (fertile flowers can be seen at the back).

Melaleuca hypericifolia  -  Hillock Bush  (native).

Salvia.

Austromyrtus dulcis  -  Midyim, Midgen Berry  (native).

Anigozanthos flavidus  -  Kangaroo Paw  (native).

A Salvia that prefers a bit of shade and moisture.

A Hosta awakes from it's winter slumber.

Brillantaisia nitens -
 Tropical Giant Sage, False Tropical Sage, Tropical Giant Salvia. 

Love-in-the-Mist.

FEATHERS, FUR and FANG.                 Some Of The Wildlife Seen Today.

This caterpillar was making a meal of my Tropical Giant Sage.

Very happy to see that we have Stingless Bees (Trigona sp.) in the yard, even if they are on an exotic plant. This now
brings to about seven species of native bee that visit the garden.

Blue-banded Bee, the most common bee in the garden.

An Eastern Water-skink in the veggie patch.

Rainbow Lorikeets add a splash of colour.