Antipodes in Early Spring

Antipodes in Early Spring

I’ve recently been prevented from writing and posting a new blog; firstly because of a winter ‘flu-like illness and then by the arrival of guests. And after all of that there was a lot of catching up to do. Now that life has settled down to its usual routine I’ve decided I should use a new label to write about my life in Australia, ‘Down-Under’ is a term often used for Australia, especially by Europeans who consider this island continent to be located ‘down there’.

Australian National Parks 

I took my guest on visits to two National Parks, The Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, which is a completely native garden and to the National Rhododendron Gardens, close to where we are living. This garden is devoted to rhododendrons and azaleas, camellias, cherries and daffodils. Both are extensive, Cranbourne covers 363 hectares with the Visitors Center and the landscaped display gardens in the center. The Rhododendron Gardens cover 36 hectares. It took us an hour or so to walk around each but unfortunately the weather was still very wintery and blustery and the flowers not at their spring best.

In Cranbourne we could appreciate the immensity of the enterprise, which had turned an old sand mine into a beautiful landscaped area in the center of the huge native park. We appreciated the interesting layout but it was too early for big displays of native Australian plants, and we were glad to get back to the café for a hot drink!

Bottle brush

Hardenbergia

 Two flowering natives

It was another cold day when we went to the Rhododendron Gardens. There were some magnolias in bloom and many hellebores under trees and lots of daffodils, but only a few rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom. Often by now the cherry walk is in full bloom and attracts many Japanese visitors.

Nevertheless both visits provided us with a bracing walk.

A Local Walk

Today however I checked out our local vegetation and found that the spring pageant here had moved on. The Camellias were past their best, still colourful, but much of that colour was on the ground where the blossoms had fallen.

(I’ve just experience the danger of fallen camellia blossoms. They become squishy on the damp ground and are worse than a banana skin. I ended up flat on my back last week after collecting the mail, and passing under a camellia tree.)

 

The newcomers along our lane are the magnolias, in particular Magnolia soulangeana, and Magnolia stellata. Both varieties have pink and white forms. These Magnolias are not to be seen on our Greek island, but several gardens, including mine in Lemnos, have the tougher Magnolia grandiflora (also known as a Bull Bay). 

 

And when not looking up to catch a glimpse of these beauties, I noticed that the gutters of the road were filled with many smaller flowers; forget-me-not, periwinkle, and not to me missed are the masses of onion week. I don’t mind if this last stays outside on the lane but unfortunately it invading and today I pulled out two barrow loads and put in the green recycle bin. I can’t burn them they are too lush nor put them on the compost, too potent!

Daisies and Forget-me-nots

Onion weed, pretty but very invasive

 

And beyond all these flowering distraction are the trees. At this time of year many are still leaf-less but others are putting on their light green spring dresses.

My favourite oak tree

                       Not yet in leaf.