STIRRINGS OF SPRING

The fragrant violets and wattles are blooming in the garden, and the first bulbs are showing their flowers: Anemones, jonquils and lachenalias. Meanwhile, the neighbour's almond tree is all buds that are unfurling their blossoms. Spring is not too far away, although we've had some bitterly cold days...

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme 

BIRTHDAY BOUQUET

An early Winter bouquet from our garden with golden wattles, orange calendulas, pink bergenias, red alstroemerias and white daisies.

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BOUQUET

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

SPRING BOUQUET

A bouquet of flowers from our garden: Daisies, freesias, marigolds, calendulas, bluebells, begonias, alstroemerias, anemones and stocks.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

SPRING BOUQUET

Spring flowers are blooming in our garden: Daisies, bluebells, sparaxis, bergenias, marigolds, anemones, freesias, stocks, rosemary, canola and ornamental onion.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

ROSE SEASON

Fragrant roses freshly picked from our garden. It's a good season for them this year.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

SPRING BOUQUET

Happy Spring! A bouquet of flowers from our garden. You can see, camellias, calendulas, anemones, daffodils, stocks, polyanthus, calla lilies, and jonquils.

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MINI BOUQUET

A little bouquet from our garden, with violets, bergenias and hyacinth. Spring is coming!

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THE FIRST WATTLES

The genus Acacia belongs to the family Mimosaceae. There are some 1350 species of Acacia found throughout the world and close to 1000 of these are to be found in Australia. Commonly known as Wattle, Acacia is the largest genus of vascular plants in Australia. Australia's national floral emblem is Acacia pycnantha, the Golden Wattle. Wattle Day is celebrated on the 1st of September each year.

The first wattles have already bloomed in Melbourne and this beautiful specimen is in a nice sheltered spot, brightening up the Winter garden. It has a light, fresh fragrance and can survive a few days indoors as a cut flower.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

ROSE BOUQUET

The last Autumn roses picked from our garden, as the blooming season well and truly ends. No more roses till next Spring!

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

AUTUMN BOUQUET

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.

SOUTHERN BOUQUET

The flora of South Africa and Australia is very distinctive with quite a few rich botanical families that provide a diverse and amazing bouquet of flowers. The Proteaceae (banksias, grevilleas, waratahs) and Myrtaceae (eucalypts, bottlebrushes, titrees, lillipillis) especially are well represented. 

Australia and New Zealand once formed part of a huge southern land mass now referred to as Gondwanaland, whereas northern hemisphere continents were once aggregated into Laurasia. Gondwanaland and Laurasia began to disaggregate about 160 million years ago. Prior to this time, the southern hemisphere land masses and India were connected into Gondwanaland, while North America, Europe and much of Asia formed Laurasia.

South Africa, Madagascar, India, South America, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Australia and various other fragments broke away and drifted northwards, leaving Antarctica behind. Australia and South America were the last major land masses to separate from Antarctica, Australia beginning slowly about 90 to 100 million years ago and establishing a deep ocean passage some 30 to 40 million years ago. 

Here is a bouquet of the Gondwanaland flowers, readily available in florists throughout the world because of extensive flower exports from both South Africa and Australia.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.