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

Around The Home Garden. 2nd Jan 2015.

Santa brought me a new Canon SX60 HS (point and shoot bridge type) camera for Xmas so this is a bit of a practice run to work out what does what.

Although not a DSLR, I'm trying it out using more of the manual settings, and that's where all the 'head scratching' occurs. The one big improvement I've noticed over the old (SX10) camera is that the blue in the flowers show more, those from the older camera the blues would be washed out in full sunlight. Also, the pinks don't seemed to be as washed out.

Click on photos to enlarge.

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

Banksia Robur  -  Swamp Banksia.       (native)

Felicia amelloides  -  Blue Daisy, Blue Marguerite.

Crinum pedunculatum  -  Swamp Lily.     (native)

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

Phalaenopsis  -  Moth Orchid.

Epacris longiflora  -  Fuchsia Heath.   (native)

One of the Pelagonia's.

Flowers of Oregano.

Leaf-cutter Bees have been making good use of our Abelia x grandiflora (Glossy Abelia).

Salvia uliginosa  -  Bog Sage.

Salvia uliginosa  -  Bog Sage.

Hymenocallis sp.  -  Spider Lily, Sacred Lily Of The Incas.

Zephyranthes grandifolia  -  Rain Lily

Fuchsia

Polka Dot Plant  -  Hypoestes sp.

Brillantaisia nitens  -  Tropical Giant Salvia.

Leaf of a Tree Bogonia.

Goodenia ovata  -  Hop Goodenia  (native)

Plectranthus sp.,  local native.

Flowers of Lucerne that self-seeded from lucerne hay mulch.

Commelina cyanea  -  Scurvy Weed    (native)

One of the Salvias.

Crowea exalata x saligna  -  Crowea 'Festival'   (native)

Geitonoplesium cymosum  -  Scrambling Lily   (native)

Flowers and fruits of Ardisia crenata  -  Coral Ardisia.

Wahlenbergia sp.  -  Native Bluebell.

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

Red-bellied Black Snake  (poisonous)

An Eastern Water-skink 'planking' near the pond.

Noisy Miner, a native species that drives away all the other smaller
(and some larger) native birds.

One of the Hawk Month caterpillars hangs upside down on a native grape.

Adult Grey Butcherbird. Uses hook on beak to pull apart prey it jams into tree forks.

Dragon Fly, depositing eggs into pond.

St Andrews Cross Spider

Dragon Fly

A small Damsel Fly.

Common Crow Butterfly on Sweet Burseria.    (native)

Camera:  Canon PowerShot SX60 HS