I can no longer keep up my griping about Spring being a harbinger of Summer… the blooms are too beautiful. I can gripe about a Spring day of 30 degrees, as we had yesterday!
My Wisteria had been threatening to bring down the carport with its vigour, but a severe winter pruning has removed risk and delivered these dainty droops of lilac.
My purple Eriostemon shrub is the current native performer.
But mostly it is the English cottage garden stalwarts that are responding to Spring, albeit confusedly.
Like the May bush (Spirea), arching gracefully over my fence with masses of blossoms of the purest of white. In its northern hemisphere home, it would flower in May of course.
One native that would not look amiss in a cottage garden is the bountiful Seaside Daisy (Erigeron). Its happy little faces and its generous spillovers always make me smile.
As do the raggedy blooms of this Crépuscule rose that I am training to grow along my verandah railings; their sunny buds of deep apricot to egg yolk yellow, and paler simple flowers with their golden centres give me joy throughout much of the year. An 1864 variety, it is evergreen, fragrant, uncomplicated and honest!
I am not in the right climate for roses, but to have my old favourites around me, I will persevere.
Will have to look up Dryandra, Colleen. As for fragrance, the small citrus trees win in my garden… that so-nostalgic scent dominates, wafting at me from many directions. It transports me back to childhood, and growing up on an orange orchard…
Love the roses. My wisteria has a mass of blooms & so fragrant. So many natives in bloom too – quite a picture here at present. Wattles are finishing but so many grevillias in bloom & the stunning Dryandra.
Yes Helen, I am noticing the paddocks of yellow fireweed everywhere; it always has had fluctuating seasons and many are the hours I have spent pulling and bagging it!
Delightful. Thanks Sharyn. Bursting with colour here in Dungog. And so is the fireweed, worst in 6 years since I arrived. Our governments are taking notice of the temperatures sadly.