ROCKY DAISY

Brachyscome multifida is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae. Common names include Cut-leaved Daisy, Rocky Daisy, and Hawkesbury Daisy. The species is endemic to Australia. This species has an erect, matting growth habit growing to 45 cm in height. The foliage is fine and deeply divided, The flowerheads arise above the foliage on 4 to 40 cm long peduncles. The ray florets are mauve, pink or white and are 7 to 10 mm long. The plants main flowering season is early autumn to mid winter, but the daisy-like flowerheads may appear throughout the year.

Brachyscome multifida occurs on dry, shallow or rocky soils in sclerophyll forest or grassland in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The species and its cultivars are popular in horticulture, and are used for mass plantings, in hanging baskets, in borders and spilling over retaining walls. They can be grown in a wide range of soils and tolerate dry conditions, but will benefit from supplementary watering. Plants are best situated in a position with full sun, although partial shade is tolerated. Although relatively frost tolerant, foliage may burn.The plants is readily propagated by cuttings which strike readily. Plants may also be propagated by layering or from seed, though germination rate is usually poor.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

HAND

"Our hand, that marvel of evolution, the maker of wondrous things, the destroyer of beauty is equally capable of giving a caress as well as of delivering a fatal blow. The hand that writes poems in exquisite calligraphy, is as adept at signing death warrants. The hand that builds is also the hand that demolishes, that which takes as well as that which gives. The hand which plays beautiful music, can also beat the drums of war..."

NJV

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

LUCCA, ITALY

Lucca is a city on the Serchio river in Italy’s Tuscany region. It’s known for the well-preserved Renaissance walls encircling its historic city centre and its cobblestone streets and the medieval houses.The walls encircling the old town remained intact, even as the city expanded and modernised, unusual for cities in the region. Initially, built as a defensive rampart, once the walls lost their military importance, they became a pedestrian promenade, the Passeggiata delle Mura Urbane, a street atop the walls linking the bastions. Each of the four principal sides of the structure is lined with a different tree species than the others.

The town includes a number of public squares, most notably the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, site of ancient Roman amphitheatre; but also Piazzale Verdi; Piazza Napoleone'; and Piazza San Michele. The 'Casa di Puccini' is the house of the opera composer, Giacomo Puccini, which is now  a museum. At the nearby Torre del Lago, where the composer summered, a Puccini opera festival takes place every July-August.

Lucca Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Lucca, Cattedrale di San Martino) is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint Martin. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Lucca. Construction was begun in 1063 by Bishop Anselm (later Pope Alexander II). Of the original structure, the great apse with its tall columnar arcades and the fine campanile remain. The nave and transepts of the cathedral were rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 14th century, while the west front was begun in 1204 by Guido Bigarelli of Como, and consists of a vast portico of three magnificent arches, and above them three ranges of open galleries adorned with sculptures.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

LEAVES

Gum tree leaves and bark. What is a gum tree? See here.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme.

MY SUNDAY BEST MEME #107 - SMALL

Welcome to the meme, "My Sunday Best", which is a photographic and creative meme that allows you to showcase your talents in imaging. Every Sunday, you can post here showing an image you have created using your camera, (and/or) image processing software, and/or painting and drawing in the conventional way and have scanned in.

The rules are simple:

1) Create your image according to the "CHALLENGE" theme, and post it up on your blog;

2) Put the "My Sunday Best" logo image link somewhere on your post so people can click and come by here;

3) Leave a comment here once you have posted;

4) Visit other posters' blogs and be amazed with their creativity!

Please do not use this meme to advertise your goods or services. This is a creative meme and any inappropriate links or comments shall be removed immediately!

Last week the theme was "PARK BENCH" and Jesh in the USA posted some great photos of snow in her yard. This photo was my favourite! Please visit her blog to see the other great photos!

HMV

Yes, I'm sure he heard his master's voice, but he's not budging from there...

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

SUMMER CLOUDS

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

CROWEA

Crowea exalata, or Small Crowea, is a flowering plant in the family Rutaceae, which is native to the states of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. It is a small shrub growing to 1 metre tall. It is named after James Crowe, an 18th-19th century surgeon and botanist. The specific name exalata means without wings, referring to the lack of ridges on the stems - this is not a definitive characteristic.

This species flowers during most months of the year, resting only in extremes of heat and cold, and with flushes in autumn and spring. Pointed buds open to five-petalled starry flowers 2 cm across, in clear tints of rose purple. They are of a solid waxy substance, and make a vivid display for the size of the plant. Before falling they close again to look like buds of deeper pink. Propagation by cuttings is easy using tip growth (which is very soft in character), at a half-ripe stage.

Nurseries dealing in native plants usually stock this small shrub and it should be planted in light, lime-free soil. A position with some shade is desirable - otherwise the soil should be shaded in some way from hot sun. This may be done by surrounding the plant with 5-10 cm of leaves, bush litter or compost. Rocks make an attractive setting, and in fact this is a beautiful rockery subject. Pruning should be done to maintain bushy growth, or a straggly plant with bare stems may develop. The end of winter is a good time to do this - or any time when sprigs of cut flowers are wanted, as these are dainty and long-lasting in water.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

GREECE

Icaria, also spelled Ikaria (Greek: Ικαρία), is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, 10 nautical miles (19 km) southwest of Samos. According to tradition, it derives its name from Icarus, the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology, who was believed to have fallen into the sea nearby. Administratively, Icarian forms a separate municipality within the Ikaria regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean region. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Agios Kirykos. The historic capitals of the island include Oenoe and Evdilos (the latter shown here).

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

CORTE, CORSICA

Corte is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica. It is the fourth-largest commune in Corsica after Ajaccio, Bastia, and Porto-Vecchio. Sites of interest include the Fortress (A citadella), the Museum of Corsica (Museu di a Corsica), and the University of Corsica (Università di Corsica).

Corte has become a major university town in Corsica since the Pasquale Paoli University opened up again in the 1980s. Corte was the birthplace of Joseph Bonaparte (1768–1844), the eldest brother of the French Emperor Napoleon I, who made him King of Naples (1806–1808) and Spain (1808–1813).

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.