EVENING TRAIN

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

POET'S NARCISSUS

Narcissus poeticus (poet's daffodil, poet's narcissus, nargis, pheasant's eye, findern flower, and pinkster lily) was one of the first daffodils to be cultivated, and is frequently identified as the narcissus of ancient times (although Narcissus tazetta and Narcissus jonquilla have also been considered as possibilities). It is also often associated with the Greek legend of Narcissus.

It is the type species of the genus Narcissus and is widely naturalized in North America. The flower is extremely fragrant, with a ring of petals in pure white and a short corona of light yellow with a distinct reddish edge. It grows to 20 to 40 cm tall. Poet's daffodil is cultivated in the Netherlands and southern France for its essential oil, narcissus oil, one of the most popular fragrances used in perfumes.

Narcissus oil is used as a principal ingredient in 11% of modern quality perfumes—including 'Fatale' and 'Samsara'—as a floral concrete or absolute. The oil's fragrance resembles a combination of jasmine and hyacinth. While all narcissi are poisonous when eaten, poet's daffodil is more dangerous than others, acting as a strong emetic and irritant. The scent is powerful enough that it can cause headache and vomiting if a large quantity is kept in a closed room.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

NATURAL...

Walking along the Yarra River in Abbotsford, Melbourne, enjoying the vast areas of parklands and nature reserve along the river. This is amazing as these vast tracts of natural bushland are within a stone's throw of the bustling city centre.

Melbourne has a population of over five million people, so I consider myself very lucky to have such splendid conservation areas within walking distance of my home. Furthermore, to have for neighbours so much native flora and fauna in their natural environment!

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

MELBOURNE BY NIGHT

Melbourne by night is a lonely place these days of COVID lockdown and 9:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew...

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.

SPRING MOOD

We've had a couple of Spring days alternating with wintry ones. However, as the days lengthen, as the flowers bloom and the butterflies flutter by, there is no denying it, Spring has sprung in the Southern Hemisphere.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

ROWING

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

DRAGONFLY

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

LOCKDOWN SUNRISE

Looks ominous, but a good time to do one's allowed exercise within a 5km radius...

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

IRIS

Iris is a genus of about 300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the ancient Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris, referring to the wide variety of flower colours found among the many species. As well as being the scientific name, iris is also very widely used as a common name for all Iris species, though some plants called thus belong to other closely related genera. A common name for some species is 'flags', while the plants of the subgenus Scorpiris are widely known as 'junos', particularly in horticulture.

It is a popular garden flower and its blossoms provide wonderful splashes of colour in the Spring garden. The genus is widely distributed throughout the north temperate zone. Their habitats are varied, ranging from cold and montane regions to the grassy slopes, meadowlands and riverbanks of Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa, Asia and across North America.

Irises are perennial herbs, growing from creeping rhizomes (rhizomatous irises) or, in drier climates, from bulbs (bulbous irises). They have long, erect flowering stems which may be simple or branched, solid or hollow, and flattened or have a circular cross-section. The rhizomatous species usually have 3–10 basal sword-shaped leaves growing in dense clumps. The bulbous species have cylindrical, basal leaves. 

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

TREE TRUNK & BARK

I often look admiringly at the wonderful colours and textures of bark on tree trunks. A microcosm where one may enter and get lost in...

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.