CACTUS GARDEN

Amazing cactus garden in "Collectors Corner at Gardenworld", 810 Springvale Rd Braeside Vic. 3195. An amazing retail enterprise with plants, gems, minerals, bonsai, fossils, as well as dozens of displays that highlight the diversity of the wonderful planet Earth. Well worth a visit!

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

ALMA MATER

On the City Campus of the University of Melbourne. Despite the large number of new buildings that have gone up since I was a student there, it was heartening to discover that some green spaces have remained and little nooks such as this one have hardly changed at all.

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

BAROQUE

A little baroque touch in the King's Domain in the City, where a built rock garden coexists with trees and succulents. Home to birds, insects, small reptiles and the odd snake. All in the midst of the bustling City.

This post is part of the Seasons meme.

MAGNOLIA

Magnolia laevifolia grows as a small tree bearing multitudes of golden buds. Unlike other magnolia relatives, the buds form in the leaf axils and along the stem. The bright, hairy bud scales (perules) split off at blooming time to reveal an ivory flower with "butter-yellow stamens like lashes opening to the sun," described one grower. The waxy, chalice-like flower has a delicate perfume, and can bloom from mid-winter and continue late into the autumn. A tree in full bloom can perfume the air for several metres around it.

The leaves are oval-shaped and tough with a golden edge.There are 41 species of what was once called Michelia in China (all of which have been lumped into the genus Magnolia), and 23 of these grow in Yunnan. Some are two hundred years old and grow at altitudes as high as 9000 feet, far higher than other varieties of magnolias can survive.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

SKYVINE

Thunbergia grandiflora is an evergreen vine in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to China, India, Nepal, Indochina and Burma and widely naturalised elsewhere. Common names include Bengal clockvine, Bengal trumpet, blue skyflower, blue thunbergia, blue trumpetvine, clockvine, skyflower and skyvine.

Plants may grow to about 20 metres in height and have a long root system with a deep tap root. The stalked, opposite leaves, which have a rough surface, are quite variable in shape. They may be triangular or ovate and the margins may be toothed, lobed or entire. Length is up to 20 cm and width is up to 6 cm.

The blue to mauve flowers are about 8 cm across with a 4 cm long tube that is pale yellow inside. These are followed by pods containing seeds that are ejected several metres upon ripening. Plants also reproduce from segments that are washed down watercourses. With a minimum temperature of 10–13 °C, this plant is cultivated as a houseplant in temperate regions, and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

The species has become a serious environmental weed in Australia on disturbed land along watercourses and in the wet tropics where it smothers other vegetation. It is commonly seen north of Sydney where it has been cultivated for many years.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos 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.

RHODODENDRON

Rhododendron 'Mrs. Murple's Purple', has large, 5 lobed, ruffled, star-shaped flowers that form a large ball truss that complements the attractive foliage and good growth habit. Each flower is a medium purple with a hint of red and fades to a white centre with a gold blotch on the upper lobe. The reverse of each flower has more of a reddish tint which helps to create a lovely contrast with the white anthers. (produced by crossing 'Purple Splendour' x 'Whitney's Purple').

The National Rhododendron Gardens (The Georgian Rd, Olinda, Victoria 3788, Australia), are host to brilliantly coloured blooms of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, cherries and daffodils. Seasonal changes ensure the gardens are a delight all year around. When not in bloom, you can still soak in the beauty of rich bark textures, seed capsules, foliage shapes and beautiful fragrance as you stroll through the grounds.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

TREASURY GARDENS & JFK MEMORIAL

The Treasury Gardens consist of 5.8 hectares (14.4 acres) on the south-eastern side of the Melbourne Central Business District, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The gardens are bounded by Wellington Parade, Spring Street, Treasury Place, and by the Fitzroy Gardens across Lansdowne street to the west. They form part of a network of city gardens including Fitzroy Gardens, Carlton Gardens, Flagstaff Gardens and Kings Domain. The gardens are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register for their historical, archaeological, social, aesthetic and scientific (horticultural) importance for its outstanding nineteenth century design, path layout and planting.

The Gardens are a short walk from Victoria’s Parliament House and are overlooked by the old Treasury buildings, and State Offices. They create a landscaped setting for office workers to enjoy during lunch with large areas of lawn and walking paths lined with mature trees. Due to their central location close to the city, they are a popular spot as the starting or ending point for political rallies, demonstrations and festivals. The gardens are also enjoyed by business people and tourists staying at the Hilton Hotel on Wellington Parade, who are able to wander through on their way to the city.

The President John F. Kennedy Memorial, is located in the Gardens. The bronze bas-relief portrait is by sculptor Raymond B. Ewers. Erected in 1965 and located beside the specially landscaped pond and water fountain.

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.

FRUITS & NUTS

It's fruiting time for many decorative plants in the gardens, and as if to compensate for the relatively fewer flowers, this season brings us a wealth of fruits, nuts and seeds.

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.

Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum)

Broad-leaf Pprivet (Ligustrum lucidum)

Hawthorn haws (Crataegus monogyna)

Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepsis indica) 

Stinking Iris (Iris foetidissima)

Casuarina "cones" (Casuarina obesa)

RED FLOWERING GUM

Corymbia ficifolia or the red flowering gum also known as Albany red flowering gum (previously known as Eucalyptus ficifolia) is one of the most commonly planted ornamental trees in the broader eucalyptus family. In 2009, genetic studies showed that C. ficifolia comprises a natural group with two other Western Australian species C. calophylla and C. haematoxylon. The group was classified as section Calophyllae within the subgenus Corymbia. It belongs to the family Myrtaceae.

It is native to a very small area of south coastal Western Australia (measured in just tens of kilometres) to the east of Walpole (430 km Southeast of Perth), but is not considered under threat in the wild. In nature Corymbia ficifolia prefers infertile, sandy soils but it is readily adaptable to most temperate locations, provided it is not exposed to severe frost or sustained tropical damp.

It is an ideal street tree as it is hardy, moderately fast growing, and rarely grows large enough to require pruning. The largest known single-stemmed tree in the world (216.5 cm diameter) is located on Princes Street in Hamilton, New Zealand. Because of its big and lovely colourful flowers, genetic improvement for cold resistance in Dublin area in Ireland is being carrying out by collecting seeds from Western and Southern Australia in the coldest parts of Australia where it grows. In Ireland most of the plants were killed by severe frosts but the surviving shoots have been kept by tissue culture.

It is difficult to graft but grows well from seed, typically taking about 7 years before it flowers for the first time and 15–20 years to reach something approaching its full size of anything between 2–8 m. For the home gardener, buying a "red flowering gum" from a nursery is something of an adventure: it may or may not be a ficifolia, and the flower colour does not breed true - there is no way to find out what colour the flowers will be short of planting a seedling and waiting for it to reach maturity! But one does get a wonderful surprise if pink or orange blooms appear...

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

BOTANIC GARDENS, MELBOURNE

The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne are internationally renowned botanical gardens located near the centre of Melbourne, on the south bank of the Yarra River. They are 38 hectares (94 acres) of landscaped gardens consisting of a mix of native and exotic vegetation including over 10,000 individual species.

The Royal Botanic Gardens have a second division in the outer Melbourne suburb of Cranbourne, some 45 km south-east of the city. The 363 hectare (897 acres) Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne have a focus solely on Australian native plants, and feature an award-winning special section called the Australian Garden, which was opened in May 2006.

The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne (shown here) are adjacent to a larger group of parklands directly south-east of the city, between St. Kilda Road and the Yarra River known as the Domain Parklands, which includes: Kings Domain Alexandra Gardens and Queen Victoria Gardens.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

Yucca elephantipes

Brachychiton acerifolius (Illawara Flame Tree)

Brachychiton acerifolius (Illawara Flame Tree)

Canna hybrid

Hosta hybrid

Strophanthus speciosus

Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum)

Nerium oleander hybrid

Tecoma stans (Yellow Bells)

FIRST TASTE OF SUMMER

It is late Spring here in Melbourne and after much unsettled weather, unseasonal cold and rain during most of this year's Spring, today we had a wonderful summery day with fine, sunny weather, blue skies and temperature maxima in the low 30˚C range. It felt quite warm, but after the cool wet and grey weather we had been having, everybody who could get out and enjoy the sunshine did!  Here are some of the Spring flowers that I saw during my walk around the neighbourhood.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,
and also part of the Friday Greens meme.

A hybrid crimson bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus)

Dracaena marginata (dragon tree) in flower

Chinaberry tree (Melia azedarach)

Oyster plant (Acanthus mollis)

Hybrid tea roses (yellow Rosa 'Aperitif'; apricot Rosa 'Just Joey')

Sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus)

A hybrid amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp) growing happily in a garden bed

PARKS & GARDENS

One of the most loved things about Melbourne is its picturesque parks, gardens and green spaces, which all have a colourful story to tell. Ranging from the manicured lawns and richly planted flower beds of formal gardens to reserves of natural bushland, parks and gardens are to be found throughout the City and suburbs.

Here is part of the Yarra Bend Park, which is the largest area of natural bushland near the heart of Melbourne. The park features steep river escarpments, open woodlands, playing fields and golf courses.

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.

FITZROY GARDENS WALK

The Fitzroy Gardens are 26 hectares (64 acres) located on the southeastern edge of the Melbourne Central Business District in East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The gardens are bounded by Clarendon Street, Albert Street, Lansdowne Street, and Wellington Parade with the Treasury Gardens across Lansdowne street to the west. The gardens are one of the major Victorian era landscaped gardens in Australia and add to Melbourne's claim to being the garden city of Australia.

The Fitzroy Gardens are of historical significance as one of a ring of public reserves around Melbourne established in the nineteenth century to provide respite and relaxation for the city's residents. The Fitzroy Gardens have been viewed as the flagship of this group of city gardens, which includes the Flagstaff, Treasury, Carlton and Alexandra Gardens and the Kings Domain. In a statewide context, while not as intact as the Royal Botanic Gardens or the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, the Fitzroy Gardens are an important remnant of the city's nineteenth-century garden heritage.

They are also a reminder of the city's relatively large investment in public gardens, a reflection of 19th century beliefs about the moral and health benefits of green spaces in often dirty, smelly and overcrowded cities. The Fitzroy Gardens are of social significance because, from their establishment in the early 1860s, the Gardens have been a place of relaxation, passive recreation and entertainment; the Gardens have been the people's park in the city.

This post is part of the Wednesday Waters meme,

and also part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the  ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Trees & Bushes meme.