ROSA "EVELYN"

Rosa "Evelyn" from David Austin was bred from Tamora x Graham Thomas. The rose has the typical Austin cupped /rosette form. Evelyn is known for the beauty of the blooms, for their fragrance and for a marvellous display at flowering time. The plant has a neat vase shape at the base, then reaches both up and out. It grows to about two metres tall with some canes spreading about the same width. Basals are produced readily, and throw candelabras of bloom - bearing huge, lush, drooping panicles of soft pink blossoms. Older canes tend to bloom with single buds, or in twos and threes.

This is one of my favourite roses in our garden. It not only looks beautiful and blooms prolifically, but also has a fragrance which is strong, yet not cloying. I struck it from a little cutting I took from a friend's garden a couple of decades ago and despite three uprootings and re-plantings in different parts of the garden it is still going strong (my hobby is not uprooting and replanting rosebushes, rather we redesigned the garden a few times...).

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

H for HABITAT

habitat | ˈhabɪtat | noun
The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism: Wild chimps in their natural habitat.
• informal a person's usual or preferred surroundings.
ORIGIN
Late 18th century: from Latin, literally ‘it dwells’, from habitare

The Darebin Parklands provide a large variety of habitats for numerous native species of flora and fauna, as well as hosting some introduced and exotic species. The large area of natural woodland, wetland and pond environment as well as the Perennial Darebin Creek running through its midst are a valuable conservation resource for suburban Melbourne.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

FEDERATION SQUARE

Federation Square in Melbourne's CBD, is a mixed-use development in the inner city, covering an area of 3.2 hectares and centred on two major public spaces: Open squares (St. Paul's Court and The Square) and one covered (The Atrium), built on top of a concrete deck above busy railway lines. It is located at the intersection between Flinders Street and Swanston Street/St Kilda Road in Melbourne's Central Business District, adjacent to Melbourne's busiest railway station.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

INDUSTRIAL

A few blocks down from where we live is a light industrial area that has quite a few warehouses. After working hours the area can be quite deserted and the locked up buildings and their equipment can look a little strange, almost like the empty set of a movie...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Through my Lens meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

ST ANDREWS MARKET

St Andrews, a small town in Victoria, Australia, is 36 km north-east from Melbourne's city centre. St Andrews has a population of about 1600 people and is well known for its alternative market which is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It also has a hotel, general store, school, bakery, CFA, a community centre and of course St Andrew's Church.

Look at the small children in the photos and find in their faces, the wonder, amazement, innocence, apprehension and bemusement when they look at the strange world of the grown-ups!

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

PUPPY LOVE

A wonderful Summer moment captured in the Parklands.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

NEW DAY

Sunrise in summery Melbourne.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

CHALICE VINE

Solandra is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. It is named after the Swedish naturalist Daniel C. Solander. The vines it contains are commonly known as Chalice Vines and are native to the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. They have very large flowers and glossy foliage.

Solandra grandiflora, more popularly known as Chalice Vine or Cup of Gold, is a perennial fast-growing climbing vine or liana. This vine quickly takes root and grabs onto the surrounding vegetation for support, the base stalk is thick, heavy and ropelike. These vines can easily exceed over 30 metres in length, each node on the branch will sprout tendrils and take root, giving the whole plant more stability and a larger root system to improve its ability to access essential nutrients: Water, minerals, sunlight. The leaves grow directly from the main stalk and side branches and are uniformly dark green, thick, with a smooth supple texture; they can grow as large as 15 cm in length, 7 cm wide and are oval shaped.

Chalice Vine is well known among gardeners, and is prized for its large ornamental flowers, which are yellow, grow up to 25 cm long, and are distinctly shaped like bells or chalices. The flowers will begin as bright, brilliant white and yellow with purple or brown stripes spiralling inside, and as the flower ages its colour will darken, ranging in shades from chartreuse, amber, lemon and golden yellow; hence the well earned common name, Cup of Gold. The flowers bloom in the evening or night and produce a strong sweet fragrance, which smells similar to coconut. In the wild they produce large yellow, white berries that contain many tiny seeds for future propagation, as the berries ripen they change colour from light yellow to deep red. However, when Solandra grandiflora is cultivated as an ornamental, it is usually grown from cuttings and the fruits are rarely if ever seen.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

G for GUMTREE

Eucalypts—often called gumtrees—are icons of the Australian flora. With more than 800 species they dominate the Australian landscape, forming forests, woodland and shrublands in all environments except the most arid deserts. Karri and Mountain ash form tall wet forests, mallee species grow in semi-arid regions and snow gums are stunted twisted trees of subalpine regions.

The Darebin Creek is made up many plant communities including River Red Gum Grassy Woodland, dominated by Eucalyptus camaldulensis. This important plant community consists of a scattering of large River Red Gums, smaller trees and shrubs in groups with grasses and wildflowers growing underneath. Grassy Woodlands have regional significance as they now occur in small fragmented areas within the Catchment.

Smaller plants such as grasses, climbers and shrubs are well suited to urban gardens, so why not grow indigenous plants in your own garden? Try native violets (Viola hederacea) to replace traditional violets and native lilies (Dianella species) to replace Agapanthus or Kidney Weed instead of a lawn and save water at the same time!

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

ON THE YARRA

Relaxing while rowing on the Yarra River is one of the pleasures of the Yarra Bend Park.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

WILD FRUIT

With late Summer comes the beginning of the fruiting season in many plants, some native and some exotic to Melbourne. These four found in our and neighbours' gardens.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

BREAK

Quiet time in the Treasury Gardens, relaxing with a book away from the hustle and bustle of the City.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

FETCH

Fun at the Darebin Parklands.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

SUNRISE SKY

"Life. This morning the sun made me adore it. It had, behind the dripping pine trees, the oriental brightness, orange and crimson, of a living being, a rose and an apple, in the physical and ideal fusion of a true and daily paradise." – Juan Ramón Jiménez

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

BANKSIA

Banksia menziesii, commonly known as firewood banksia, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Banksia. It is a gnarled tree up to 10 m tall, or a lower spreading 1–3 m shrub in the more northern parts of its range. The serrated leaves are dull green with new growth a paler grey green. The prominent autumn and winter inflorescences are often two-coloured red or pink and yellow, and their colour has given rise to more unusual common names such as port wine banksia and strawberry banksia. Yellow blooms are rarely seen.

First described by the botanist Robert Brown in the early 19th century, no separate varieties of Banksia menziesii are recognised. It is found in Western Australia, from the Perth (32° S) region north to the Murchison River (27° S), and generally grows on sandy soils, in scrubland or low woodland. Banksia menziesii provides food for a wide array of invertebrate and vertebrate animals; birds and in particular honeyeaters are prominent visitors. A relatively hardy plant, Banksia menziesii is commonly seen in gardens, nature strips and parks in Australian urban areas with Mediterranean climates, but its sensitivity to dieback from the soil-borne water mould Phytophthora cinnamomi makes it short-lived in places with humid summers, such as Sydney. Banksia menziesii is widely used in the cut flower industry both in Australia and overseas.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

F for FORD

ford | fɔːd | noun

A shallow place in a river or stream allowing one to walk or drive across.

There are several fords on Darebin Creek, the waterway of the Parklands. This is the one at the Southern side and there is provision for both a pedestrian access ford, as well as a rather larger one for cars.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme,

SEAFARERS BRIDGE

The Seafarers Bridge is a footbridge over the Yarra River between Docklands and South Wharf in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The bridge connects the north and south banks of the river while providing a formal entrance to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The bridge main span is supported by steel ties connected to elliptical arches, with three arches on the north side and four arches on the south side. The bridge was named in homage to the ‘Mission to Seafarers’ centre located nearby on the northern bank of the Yarra River and to represent Melbourne’s rich maritime history.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

LAIR

Melbourne regularly ranks as one of the world’s most liveable cities but it’s not just hipsters and other humans who find the temperate climate of Melbourne so habitable. Despite the industrial, commercial and residential development that comes with being in a big city, Melbourne is still home to many species of Australian native animals, as well as some introduced animals that have been naturalised here.

Retention and growth of bushland and other green areas in Melbourne is very important for wildlife, along with the trees’ ability to provide cooling summer shade and healthy, breathable air. The Darebin Parklands is just one of these oases of green in metropolitan Melbourne and is home to many native and introduced species of wildlife.

Carnivores in the Parklands include such animals as snakes and other reptiles, foxes, feral cats, and birds. I have often seen evidence of the remnants of the meals of these predators, and occasionally have caught sight of them.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Through my Lens meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme,

and also part of the Macro Monday meme.

SHINY BENTLEY

Bentley Motors Limited is a British luxury automaker, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the German company Volkswagen AG. Its principal activity is the design, engineering, manufacture, and distribution of luxury automobiles sold under the Bentley marque. Based in Crewe, England, Bentley Motors Limited was founded by W. O. Bentley on 18 January 1919 in Cricklewood near London and was acquired by Rolls-Royce in 1931.

Bentley Motors Limited is the direct successor of Rolls-Royce Motors, which Volkswagen AG purchased in 1998. The purchase included the vehicle designs, model nameplates, production and administrative facilities, the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks, but not the rights to the use of the Rolls-Royce name or logo, which are owned by Rolls-Royce Holdings plc and were later licensed to BMW AG. Bentley vehicles are sold via franchised dealers worldwide, and as of November 2012, China was the largest individual market for Bentley automobiles.

Most Bentley cars are assembled at the company's plant in Crewe, with a small number of Continental Flying Spurs assembled at the Transparent Factory in Dresden, Germany. Automobile bodies for the Continental model line are produced in Zwickau, Germany. Bentley cars are largely hand-built. Bentley cars won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 2003. The current Bentley production models are the Continental Flying Spur, Continental GT and Mulsanne. Notable former Bentley production models include the Bentley 4½ Litre, Bentley Speed Six, Bentley R Type Continental, Bentley Turbo R and Bentley Arnage.

This Bentley was parked in our neighbourhood and its proud owner keeps it sparkling, shiny clean as  though it has just left the showroom!

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,

and also part of the My Sunday Best meme,

and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

BROOD

It's quite surprising how tame some of the wild birds can be in the Darebin Parklands. It does pay to be discreet, though, keeping quiet, making no sudden moves and respecting the animals' space. The result is photos like this one, getting down there, up close and personal!

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

SUMMER SCENE

At the Parklands watching the magpies having lunch...

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

BUNJONG

Pimelea spectabilis (Bunjong) is a species of shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae, endemic to Western Australia. It is erect in habit, growing to between 0.5 and 2 metres high. The pink and white flowers are produced between August and December in its native range. The species was first formally described by English botanist John Lindley in 1839 in A sketch of the vegetation of the Swan River colony.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

E for ECOSYSTEM

The Darebin Parklands around Darebin Creek support a wide diversity of bird, mammal, reptile, fish, amphibian and insect life in a rich background environment of mainly native flora. The ecosystem is stable and thriving, but highly responsive to change (for example, human activity and pollution), which can have catastrophic effects on the ecology of the communities of the ecosystem. See here for more information.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

SOUTHBANK BY NIGHT

Southbank is an inner urban neighbourhood of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1 km south of Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area are the Cities of Melbourne and Port Phillip. At the 2011 Census, Southbank had a population of 11,235. Southbank was formerly an industrial area and part of South Melbourne. It was transformed into a densely populated district of high rise apartment and office buildings beginning in the early 1990s, as part of an urban renewal program.

With the exceptions of the cultural precinct along St Kilda Road, few buildings built before this time were spared by redevelopment. Today Southbank is dominated by high-rise development. It is one of the primary business centres in Greater Melbourne. Southbank Promenade and Southgate Restaurant and Shopping Precinct, on the southern bank of the Yarra River, extending to Crown Casino, is one of Melbourne's major entertainment precincts. The flame show outside the Casino at night is very popular with visitors to our City.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.