Unexpected Partners

Spring in North Canterbury

Dogwood

In Pink

Dogwood

In White

"Spring is sooner recognised by plants than men."

Chinese proverb

"Of course everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colours, there would be an unbelievable shrieking in the heart of the night."

Rainer Maria Rilke

Going Troppo!

Back in September, I flew from Melbourne to Port Douglas to stay at the very lovely Niramaya Villas. (You can read about that by scrolling down to an earlier blog). With camera at the ready, I spent a leisurely five days exploring both the Niramaya grounds and the wider Port Douglas community. Tropical flowers were a recurring theme. Here are a few - a water lily and frangipani above and more botanic beauties below.

Red Torch Ginger

Unnamed

Heliconia rostrata

Unnamed

Some type of palm berry

And most spectacular of all, the subtle green beauty of the jade vine - this one growing over a pergola in one of the Niramaya Villas.  Niramaya and Port Douglas seem like a world away, now that I'm back in Christchurch. The city is flushed green with spring but there's nothing very tropical about the place. But it's nice to wander through my photo files every so often, to transport myself back to all that colour and unstoppable tropical growth.

http://www.niramaya.com.au/

A Nature Study

Seed Heads

Hagley Park

Christchurch

I photographed these plants a few weeks ago When they were in full flower But I like them better as spikey seed heads Covered in morning dew drops October 2010. Ajr

Floral Contortions

Spring is in the Air

A Moment

Of Floral Madness

Ajr Oct. 2010

And so to Spring......

Burst of White

Amid

Winter Grey

Spring 2010, Ajr

A Spring Botanic Moment

Scented Azaleas

In Bud

Christchurch Botanic Gardens October 2009 Ajr

Glasses and Roses

Two Panoramas

Petals & Shadows

Christchurch 2009. Ajr

Lillies in the Lobby

The george, Christchurch. April 2009. Ajr

There's nothing more intoxicating for me than the look and smell of white lillies. I adore them! No surprise then, that I took these photographs in the lobby of The George Christchurch - where I could happily have spent the day, lounging back on white leather sofas, drinking in heavenly lily perfume. www.thegeorge.com

Busy As a Bee........

Bumble Bee, Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Jan 2009. Ajr

........That's Me!

White Lily

Lily, Botanic Gardens,Christchurch. Jan 2009. Ajr

Out testing the new camera

In Christchurch Botanic Gardens

Just before Sunset

Mellow Yellow

ChristchurchBotanic Gardens. Jan 2009. Ajr

I rarely venture in to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens without my camera.

And I rarely come away without any photographs.

I captured these gorgeous yellow daisies (Echinacia perhaps) last weekend.

Purple Paddocks

Waikuku. North Canterbury. Jan. 2009 Ajr

It was a HOT day when I drove up to Waikuku and when I stopped to photograph this pretty scene at Lavender Fields, I could hear the whirring and buzzing of bees pollinating the flowers.

Petals and Stamens

Christchurch. Jan. 2009. Ajr

I LOVE my neighbour's magnolia tree - especially given that it hangs right over my side of our mutual fencline, showering my garden in white petals and a delicate lemony perfume that makes me think of exotic places.

Perfection

One Perfect Poppy

Catching the Sun

Close-up

Flowering Hosta

A Close Inspection

Leaves like Velvet

Dec. 2008. Ajr

Perfection!

Poppy. Nov. 2008. Ajr

I visited a stunning garden this morning - a small miracle of colour, texture, colour and fragrance that I could happily adopt as my own. I can't give you the where and the who because I'm writing about the garden for a magazine, but I do just want to share this amazing poppy centre with stamens so perfect. I'm always slightly overwhelmed when my tiny little Panasonic Lumix delivers such unexpectedly lovely photographs - so naturally I take fifty shots when one would have been sufficient!

Aussie Treats

Flowers and Fruit, Woodend, Victoria, Australia. Nov. 2008. Ajr

One of the loveliest things to do any foreign country, is scouring the local shops and markets and comparing goods and prices. Australia is not exactly foreign to we New Zealanders of course, but there are subtle differences in our stores and products; and when I come here, I invariably start at the fruit shops so I can indulge in all those delicious tropical fruits that are always much more expensive in New Zealand. Last year when I was here in Woodend, I bought two gigantic mangoes (my favourite fruit) and took them home for a feast. I scoffed one in record time and then decided to go for a walk. I forgot about the boisterous new family Pup - Cyclone Flint is his name...very appropriate it turns out. When I came home from my walk, I found him sitting on the carpet surrounded by a huge yellow stain, one chewed up mango pip and a very proud look on his face. He'd jumped up onto the kitchen bench and helped himself. It took me some time to forgive him!

It's Spring..........

Home Garden, Ilam. Oct 2008. Ajr

.....and gardens everywhere are spilling over with colour.

I snapped this lush garden in Ilam, where rhododendrons and azaleas were billowing over the edge of the stream.

Honey Seeker

Hybrid Clematis. Oct. 2008. Ajr

One Busy Bee

Gathering Nectar

on Spring Clematis