Sunday 28 February 2021
SUMMER AFTERNOON
Saturday 27 February 2021
Friday 26 February 2021
Thursday 25 February 2021
SNAIL VINE
Wednesday 24 February 2021
YARRA BEND PARK
Tuesday 23 February 2021
SMILE!
In one of Melbourne's famous alleys in the CBD.
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.
Monday 22 February 2021
FRUITFUL
Sunday 21 February 2021
Saturday 20 February 2021
Friday 19 February 2021
Thursday 18 February 2021
SUMMER FLOWERS
A beautiful Summer's evening in our garden today, and a pleasure to walk amongst the fragrant, colourful flowers.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
Pelargonium |
Dragon Wing Begonia |
Tuberose |
Carnation |
Climbing rose |
Zinnia |
Four'o'clocks |
Rhapsody in Blue rose |
Alstroemeria |
Wednesday 17 February 2021
LACEBARK TREE PODS
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.
Tuesday 16 February 2021
MONTSALVAT
Monday 15 February 2021
SUMMER GARDEN
Sunday 14 February 2021
Saturday 13 February 2021
SPOTTED DOVE
Friday 12 February 2021
Thursday 11 February 2021
CHERVIL
Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium), sometimes called garden chervil to distinguish it from similar plants also called chervil, or French parsley, is a delicate annual herb related to parsley. It is commonly used to season mild-flavoured dishes and is a constituent of the French herb mixture fines herbes.
A member of the Apiaceae family, chervil is native to the Caucasus but was spread by the Romans through most of Europe, where it is now naturalised. The plants grow to 40–70 cm, with tripinnate leaves that may be curly. The small white flowers form small umbels, 2.54–5 cm across. The fruit is about 1 cm long, oblong-ovoid with a slender, ridged beak.
Chervil is used, particularly in France, to season poultry, seafood, young spring vegetables (such as carrots), soups, and sauces. More delicate than parsley, it has a faint taste of liquorice or aniseed. Chervil is one of the four traditional French fines herbes, along with tarragon, chives, and parsley, which are essential to French cooking. Unlike the more pungent, robust herbs, thyme, rosemary, etc., which can take prolonged cooking, the fines herbes are added at the last minute, to salads, omelettes, and soups.
Chervil has had various uses in folk medicine. It was claimed to be useful as a digestive aid, for lowering high blood pressure, and, infused with vinegar, for curing hiccups. Besides its digestive properties, it is used as a mild stimulant. Chervil has also been implicated in “strimmer dermatitis”, or phytophotodermatitis, due to spray from weed trimmers and other forms of contact. Other plants in the family Apiaceae can have similar effects.
Transplanting chervil can be difficult, due to the long taproot. It prefers a cool and moist location; otherwise, it rapidly goes to seed (also known as bolting). It is usually grown as a cool-season crop, like lettuce, and should be planted in early spring and late fall or in a winter greenhouse. Regular harvesting of leaves also helps to prevent bolting. If plants bolt despite precautions, the plant can be periodically re-sown throughout the growing season, thus producing fresh plants as older plants bolt and go out of production. According to some, slugs are attracted to chervil and the plant is sometimes used to bait them.
In the language of flowers, chervil sprigs mean “sincerity; fine feelings”, while a flowerhead means “I appreciate your fine character”.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
Wednesday 10 February 2021
"THE NEST"
"The Nest" is a sculpture in the Darebin Parklands, which was made by artists David Bell and Gary Tippett from recycled materials. It is a $75,000 public art sculpture installed in October 2012 in Darebin Parklands and has divided residents, with some saying the egg-shaped work looks out of place in bushland. The artwork itself has been praised by residents, but some have criticised the location chosen.
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.
Tuesday 9 February 2021
MELBOURNE LANE
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.
Monday 8 February 2021
NEIGHBOURHOOD WALK
Interesting what one may come across when walking around the neighbourhood...
This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.
Sunday 7 February 2021
Saturday 6 February 2021
Friday 5 February 2021
Thursday 4 February 2021
JACOBINIA
A member of the Acanthaceae family, the Brazilian plume flower or jacobinia (Justicia carnea) is a shade-loving, soft-wooded shrub (ht 1.5m) with large, lush leaves. Thick plumes of white, pale pink or deep pink tubular flowers appear in regular flushes from early summer to late autumn. A form with dark purplish underleaves is known as 'Radiant' - perhaps more correctly should be called 'Huntington Form'.
Justicia carnea needs hard pruning in late winter, and regular dead-heading during summer will help to promote new blooms. It will also flourish in sunny spots but is useful for shaded sites, as are so many of the Acanthaceae family, which do so well in temperate climates. Whilst it will stand neglect, it responds well to feeding and watering. It is easily propagated from cuttings. It is a good companion to hydrangeas, Plectranthus species, ferns and camellias. The white form looks pretty with silver-leaved companions, such as Plectranthus argentatus and Pilea cadierei.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.