PELARGONIUM 'SPLENDIDE'

Pelargonium violareum, Geranium violareum or Pelargonium 'Splendide' are all synonyms for this unusual hybrid identifed as Pelargonium x violareum in the Geraniaceae family. It is an upright, shrubby perennial with soft smooth stems bearing grey-green leaves with serrated edges and pansy-like flowers with bold carmine upper petals and paler pink lower petals in summer.

The plants will reach a height of 0.5 m and a spread of 0.5m after 1-2 years. They do well in City, Coastal, Cottage/Informal, Drought Tolerant, Beds and Borders, and in Containers. They grow well in compost mixed with sharp sand in a sunny position. They should deadheaded frequently to encourage further flowering.

Pelargoniums will not survive a severe Winter outdoors, so will need to be overwintered indoors or be replaced with new plants. In cases where the Winter is milder, the plant survives but may lose its leaves. Pruning will encourage new growth in Spring. Use a high potash fertiliser in Summer.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

AUTUMNAL

Autumn is coming to the Southern Hemisphere!

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.

DAY TRIP

A day trip by train to the country today, with the weather being suitably autumnal and the fields filled with hay bales and hints that Summer is gone.

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

MY ART

A mosaic of some of my art work in various media on a variety of surfaces. If you would like to see more of my art, feel free to visit my Instagram account: @jammysevenk ( https://www.instagram.com/jammysevenk/ ), where I post more of my art every day.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme.

PRICKLY PEARS

 ...Are in season at the moment in Melbourne. Singe the prickles off with a little kitchen blowtorch, wear gloves (just in case) to peel them and then enjoy cold!

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

POSING CAT

One of our neighbours has a very friendly cat who loves to pose...

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

AT NIGHT

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

HYDRANGEA 'FOREVER'

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Forever' (Youme) has lovely double lacecap flowers in colours of either delicate pale pink or blue (depending on soil). Grows very well in a pot or tub – this enables you to control the ph of the soil and maintain the beautiful colours.

This compact hydrangea has a strong rooting system and sturdy stems. Because of this, the abundantly blooming flower heads stand up straight.It is a Winter hardy hydrangea down to -22° Celsius. Plant in moist, well-drained soil in (full) sun or partial shade. Prune in spring and you’ll see its wonderful flowers appear once again.

The plants grow to 120 cm high and 80 cm wide. A perfect size for planting in a container on your terrace or balcony. This hydrangea is also very suitable for shrub borders, mass planting or combined with other plants.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

SERENITY

At the Studley Park Boathouse in Kew, one may rent a rowboat and enjoy a leisurely boat ride on the quiet waters of the Yarra River. A serene spot of scenic beauty in suburban Melbourne, with nature reserves on either bank. Feeling grateful for living in a country where I can enjoy such activities, rather than being forced to become a refugee by an invading foreign army that wants to take over our lands...

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,

CITY VIEW

A park in Carlton, an inner suburb of Melbourne, with part of the City Skyline.

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