:: rosa xxxvii ::

Rose Leonardo da Vinci at the Lady Norwood Rose Garden in the Wellington Botanic Gardens, photo credit to my Dad, who visited there last week with my Mum.

Not too much to say as to leave on 'the' schedule this morning, I should officially not be having time to do a blog post LOL!

...off up further North this morning to Mangawhai Heads...

:: papaver ii ::

From a packet of wildflower seed last Autumn, a variety of pretty, papery poppies have sprung up in different parts of our garden...this might be the most striking version

:: fuchsia iv ::

3 maids a-leaping?!

:: rosa xxxv ::

Two more rose photos and that would make ten percent of my flower photos this year roses - maybe there are lots around or maybe this is one of my favourite blooms?

...this one has been coming back to good health since we have been here, actually watering, feeding and pruning it...

...I like to believe that it enjoys the climbing frame in its West-facing position and basks the afternoon away, exuding subtle rose fragrance...and tones, of course, splendidly with the PINK Summerhill Stone cladding ;-)

:: zinnia ::

sometimes life gets a bit nibbled around the edges...still interesting and quite fascinating...

...I had higher hopes for the beauty aspect of these zinnias, but apparently something out there was hungry!

...lovely bright injection of colour, though :)

:: paeonia iii ::

"Feels" like the first day of Summer here today...balmy and warm...and the intimates of a paeony to celebrate :)

:: hydrangea iv ::

...the beginning of the hydrangeas...

...still a bit nippy out there to call it Summer yet, although plenty of luscious sunshine to savour...

:: paeonia ii ::

and at last the waiting is over!

the two paeony roses are finally in bloom

:: xerochysum brachteatum v ::

I can't decide whether these remind me of a party decoration or one of those woven sunhats...strawflower or everlasting daisy

:: watsonia ::

Eclipsed in popularity by the gladioli and other bulbs, the watsonia is now not anywhere near as common a sight as it was in my childhood in the seventies as it has been largely neglected by the nurseries.

So, when I see a clump somewhere, I get a jolt of nostalgia, right back to my roots and the beautiful bed of dahlias and watsonias along a fenceline...sigh!

:: paeonia ::

one of the joys of late Spring and early Summer is the paeony rose - a lush exuberance of intense colour and ruffles and all bursting out of one seemingly extremely-tightly bound bud...waiting, waiting waiting...

:: succulent ::

From Miss P's ever-expanding succulent and cactus collection...a gift marking her birthday last year.

:: dianthus ::

A pot of bright and pretty pink by the door

:: rosa xxviii ::

the wonder of nature...these roses were all drippy with raindrops...but only on the outside - the 'vital' centres were dry...heads bent forwards with the weight of the rain...a survival mechanism?

:: althea officinalis iii ::

pink and red together equals delicious colour combination to me...and the vibrance and beauty of this marshmallow flower is the difference since last Autumn of a plant that has had an extra six months of growing a stronger root system and structure through the Winter months...

:: fragaria vesca ::

alpine strawberry

:: weigela ii ::

 and on my morning walk with Miss O...we found another weigela shrub in full swing...

 being fully appreciated by several charmingly fat (abundant!) bumble bees...

:: weigela ::

Generally, a plant needs to have a couple of good reasons to stay in this garden...being edible and a perennial pretty much guarantees its position, edible and pretty is a yes, but pretty and perennial starts to be a bit shaky!

This is an example of the latter and I only let it survive because it lives under the apricot tree in a spot I haven't really given very much thought to yet...

...I do admire it in the Spring, though :)

:: echium iii ::

the halo of pink stamens around these echium, which seem to be everywhere is so pretty...but even so I couldn't resist playing with the saturation...LOL!

:: rosa xxv ::

The days of Spring are passing in a blur of busy garden activity and I am watching right now as the stunning blossom of the Jonathon apple out the front window is being torn from the boughs before I've even taken my photo!!

Such as it is - much to do and fitting it in between the fits and starts that is Spring weather...I am inside in between showers that really are pretty short-lived today - should perhaps have just donned a raincoat and been done with it...it is nice and warm inside with a cup of tea...LOL!

In the last ten days the mutabilis rose has opened its buds to the warmer air and I am struck by the wow of colour happening - I planted stoechas Lavender below - so much brightness suddenly after the almost invisible palette of Winter!