Brunfelsia australis (syn: bonodora) is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae, the nightshades. It is endemic to Brazil, and it is grown in cultivation. Its common names include "yesterday-today-and-tomorrow", "morning-noon-and-night", and "Brazil raintree". The genus name Brunfelsia (often incorrectly spelt Brunsfelsia) commemorates sixteenth century German monk, Otto Brunfels. The species name, australis implies an origin in the Southern Hemisphere, while bonodora, is from the Latin, and means 'sweet-smelling'.
It is an evergreen shrub which grows slowly to around 2-4m tall and 2m wide. The foliage is dense and medium green in colour. The young leaves are often purplish in cool weather. The flowers are very sweetly perfumed and appear from September to late November in Melbourne. When they first open they are a violet colour, fading to lavender blue and then white, with the three colours present on the bush at the same time, hence the common name.
The only downside is that the plant is poisonous and the brown berries have been known to poison dogs. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, muscle tremors, staggering and seizures. If you have a dog, remove the berries from the plant every year.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
The Mallard or Wild Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae.
The male birds (drakes) have a glossy green head and are grey on wings and belly, while the females have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are gregarious. This species is the ancestor of most breeds of domestic ducks.
This post is part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wild Bird Wednesday meme.
Papaver dubium is a species of poppy known by the common names Long-headed Poppy and Blindeyes. It is a very undemanding species which prefers sandy soils without lime. It is widespread throughout Europe and America. It has been introduced into Australia, probably accidentally, but at least around Melbourne it is not widespread.
This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Floral Macros meme,
and also part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.
A morning view of the Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne.
Ornithogalum is a genus of perennial plants mostly native to southern Europe and southern Africa belonging to the family Asparagaceae. There are some species native to other areas such as the Caucasus. Growing from a bulb, species have linear basal leaves and a slender stalk, up to 30 cm or more tall, bearing clusters of typically white star-shaped flowers, often striped with green. The common name of the genus, Star-of-Bethlehem, is based on its star-shaped flowers, after the Star of Bethlehem that appeared in the Biblical account of the birth of Jesus.
The cultivar illustrated here is Ornithogalum thyrsoides 'Chesapeake Snowflake'. It is derived from a Southern African species and is a large, robust and showy flower. It makes an excellent cut flower with a vase life of up to two weeks.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
Nemesia is a genus of annuals, perennials and sub-shrubs which are native to sandy coasts or disturbed ground in South Africa. Numerous hybrids have been selected, and the annual cultivars are popular with gardeners as bedding plants. In temperate regions the annual cultivars are usually treated as half-hardy bedding plants, sown from seed in heat and planted out after all danger of frost has passed.The flowers are two-lipped, with the upper lip consisting of four lobes and the lower lip two lobes.
This cultivar of Nemesia "Sunsatia Cherry On Ice" has masses of long lasting flowers of striking colour. It is excellent for summer containers, either solo, or for fringe planting to complement other summer basket and container plants. It prefers full sun, or partial shade with free-draining soil or compost.
This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Floral Macros meme,
While walking last weekend, we came across this metal-working factory in suburban Alphington. While much of the iron components were conveniently painted in orange and blue, I couldn't resist playing in Photoshop for the last two images.
This post is part of the Mandarin Orange Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.
Approaching Sydney from the South, one can take is some great sights weather permitting. I was lucky enough to get these shot looking towards Homebush and the Sydney Olympic Park. The two bridges seen are in the vicinity of Rhodes, one a railway bridge, the other a road bridge (Concord Rd becoming Church St).
This post is part of the Weekly TopShot meme,
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas. It is the hub of the Greater Newcastle area which includes most parts of the local government areas of City of Newcastle, City of Lake Macquarie, City of Cessnock, City of Maitland and Port Stephens Council.
162 kilometres NNE of Sydney, at the mouth of the Hunter River, Newcastle is the predominant city within the Hunter Region. Famous for its coal, Newcastle is the largest coal exporting harbour in the world, exporting over 97 megatons of coal in 2009–10 with plans to expand annual capacity to 180 megatons by 2013. Beyond the city, the Hunter Region possesses large coal deposits. Geologically, the area is located in the central-eastern part of the Sydney basin.
Newcastle is on the southern bank of the Hunter River mouth. The northern side is dominated by sand dunes, swamps and multiple river channels. A 'green belt' protecting plant and wildlife flanks the city from the west (Watagan mountains) around to the north where it meets the coast just north of Stockton. Urban development is mainly restricted to the hilly southern bank.
This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.
Dietes iridioides (African iris, Cape iris, fortnight lily, Morea iris, wild iris, dietes) is an ornamental plant in the Iridaceae family.D. iridioides has white flowers marked with yellow and violet, with six free tepals that are not joined into a tube at their bases. These flowers last only one day. The seedpods of the plant often bend the stalks down to the ground where they have a better chance of propagating new plants.
The very similar Dietes grandiflora (Large Wild Iris) is a larger plant, which can be distinguished by larger flowers which have dark spots at the base of the outer tepals, and last for three days.These plants were formerly placed in the genus Moraea, but were reclassified because they are rhizomatous.
Grow in full sun or part shade. Although tolerant of tough conditions, Dietes will perform best in well-drained soil, rich in organic material. Fertilise occasionally and water during dry spells. Do not remove flower stems as they continue to flower for several years. Propagate by seed or by division of established clumps.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
Warrnambool is a regional centre and former port city on the south-western coast of Victoria, Australia. The City of Warrnambool local government area has a population of 33,922. Situated on the Princes Highway, Warrnambool marks the western end of the Great Ocean Road and the southern end of the Hopkins Highway.
The word Warrnambool originates from the local Indigenous Australians name for a nearby volcanic cone. It is interpreted to mean many things including land between two rivers, two swamps or ample water. The first settlers arrived in the 1840s in the Lady Bay area, which was a natural harbour.
The town was surveyed in 1846 and established soon after, the Post Office opening on 1 January 1849. During the Victorian Gold Rush, Warrnambool became an important port and grew quickly in the 1850s, benefiting from the private ownership of nearby Port Fairy. It was gazetted as a municipality in 1855, and became a borough in 1863. Warrnambool was declared a town in 1883, and a city in 1918. Post Offices opened at Warrnambool South in 1937 (closed 1973), Warrnambool East in 1946, and Warrnambool North in 1947 (closed 1975).
The coastline around Warrnambool varies widely, with beauty and terror both represented by expansive beaches, as well as the rocky Shipwreck Coast. Both are accessible and there to be enjoyed in Warrnambool's scenic coastal promenades, heritage museums and numerous activities in the city and around it.
This post is part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
ANZAC Square is a heritage-listed town square located between Ann Street and Adelaide Street (opposite Post Office Square), in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is a state memorial to the men and women who participated in overseas armed service and is named in honour of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
ANZAC Square is adjacent to ANZAC Square Arcade. It was opened on Armistice Day, 1930. ANZAC Square contains the Shrine of Remembrance and the 'Eternal Flame of Remembrance' held in a continuously lit bronze urn, dedicated on Tuesday, 11 November 1930.
There is also the World War II Shrine of Memories. Daphne Mayo sculptured the Women's War Memorial that forms part of the memorial's wall. The external wall of the Shrine of Memories is dedicated to the 60,000 Queenslanders who fought in World War I. There are also war-related statues, for various wars, including memorial statues for the Queensland soldiers who fought during the Second Boer War (1899–1902), as well as World War II, the Vietnam War and campaigns in Korea, Borneo and New Guinea.On 25 April, every year, a Dawn Service is held at the Shrine of Remembrance and ANZAC Square.
This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district (CBD) and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of Sydney, New South Wales, and Australia. The bridge is nicknamed "The Coathanger" because of its arch-based design.
Under the directions of Dr J.J.C. Bradfield of the NSW Department of Public Works, the bridge was designed and built by British firm Dorman Long and Co Ltd of Middlesbrough and opened in 1932. The bridge's design was influenced by the Hell Gate Bridge in New York. It is also the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world, and it is the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 metres from top to water level. It was also the world's widest long-span bridge, at 48.8 meters wide, until construction of the new Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver.
This post is part of the Scenic Weekends meme,
and also part of the Sunday Bridges meme.
