Friday, September 01, 2017

Spring Happenings




The garden is so beautiful at the moment. Spring is coming without delay, as it always does here in North Queensland. The natives in the garden are in full bloom, but the flowers on most of the plants are of the little tiny variety so you actually have to stop and appreciate them, rather than just being able to glance out to the garden and see them all at once. The Bottlebrush is very noticeable. It's covered in great fluffy pink blooms at the moment. I can't remember what variety it is that we planted, but it's the first Bottlebrush I've ever seen that truly resembles its namesake. The flowers are long and narrow and look like just the thing for scrubbing out a bottle with.
Amongst the flowers are little birds - honeyeaters and sunbirds, enjoying the nectar of the flowers and perhaps even the bugs hidden amongst the leaves.
It's a pretty time of year and one I relish because this season is so fleeting. The wattle has already finished flowering. The clusters of yellow pompoms that were decorating the tree only two weeks ago have finished now.









By contrast to the flowers, the paddocks and bush around us are looking increasingly dry. The only green patches now are those that we've watered ourselves, and it's hard for the little sprinklers to keep the grass green as the soil begins to get thirsty.
On the weekend I sat on the steps and watched the sun go down. It had been a bit of a stressful day and I decided to sit completely unoccupied for a few moments and just listen to the sounds of the birds around me and watch the sun sink.
It's not very often I literally sit and do nothing. I am usually knitting, or having an interesting conversation with someone, or even throwing a toy for Bambi. It was really nice to just sit and listen for a moment, and not even let my mind think about anything. I didn't even let myself draft a blog post or any ideas in my mind. Instead, each time I realised my mind had wandered I pulled it back and concentrated on the sounds of the birds.
It all sounds a little wishy-washy, but it was nice and something I think I should probably do more often. I love relaxing with my knitting of course, but it was good to do absolutely nothing for fifteen minuted whilst the sun set and the birds in the bush got quieter and quieter.

What's the world doing around you at the moment?
Are you further south where winter clings on? Or perhaps you're preparing for Autumn?
I hope you've had a gorgeous week!
Sarah x

Photo details: All photos in this post were shot on my new-to-me (second hand) Canon 50D with my 100mm macro lens. I think the macro has performed better on this model of camera than it does on my other one.

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14 comments

  1. Aren't native flowers so beautiful!! You photos are gorgeous, Sarah, as they always are. It's really dry down here in Brisbane too, the grass is crunchier underfoot and there is that feeling that the warmer months to come are going to be very hot and dry. Spring rain would be welcome indeed! Meg:)

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    1. Thank-you so much Meg! The whole state could do with a good drenching, couldn't it? x

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  2. Your photos are always exquisite, but the photos of the callistemon flowers are really grabbing my attention! They're so beautiful :) xo

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  3. These photos are just so beautiful <3 The bottlebrush is so exotic-looking to my New England eyes! What are the lovely little pink flowers in the first picture?

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    1. Thank you so much Kelli Ann! Those little pink flowers are a variety of Tea Tree :-)

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  4. Goodmorning Sarah, your photos are just so beautiful, the detail you see is marvellous. Thanks for sharing, have a wonderful weekend.
    Fi

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    1. Thank you so much Fiona! I'm so happy you enjoyed looking at them x

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  5. Lovely photos, it makes me want to improve my own photography. I have done some basic maintenance in the garden but autumn is noticeably here, the days are much colder and everything is getting ready for a big sleep. I love spring, it is like celebration of life, everything is waking up and reproducing :)

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    1. Thank you so much! Spring is very fleeting here in northern Australia, but lovely at the beginning all the same x

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  6. Oh your photos are so pretty Sarah x

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  7. It sounds like a lovely thing to do - just sit quietly and take in the surroundings. We should probably do it more often. Gorgeous pics. Enjoy xx

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    1. Thanks so much Meredithe! We should definitely do it more often! x

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