IT'S CLOSE...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

SUMMER IS HERE

We've had a hot day today, with a maximum temperature of 33˚C. Tomorrow we expect a maximum of 41˚C, so Summer is definitely here. The sky is a brilliant blue as the sun beats down and the red earth is hotter than it looks. The gum trees provide some welcome shade.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

THIRSTY BEE

On a hot day, bees swarm on the birdbath, drinking much water.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

EARLY SUMMER

A collage of summery colours (clockwise): Pomegranate arils, robins' eggs, lemon slices, Himalayan poppies, red rose, waterlily.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme.

RAINY EVENING

After a hot and humid day, we had some rain in the evening, which made things a little more comfortable. Not to mention the opportunity for taking a sky shot of the sunset through a wet window...

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

HELLO SUMMER

The mercury climbed up to 34˚C in our garden today, so we did well to pick the amaryllis and white lily early in the morning, before the sun fried them. The amaryllis is a wonderful salmon pink colour, and the white Christmas Lily is delightfully perfumed.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

SUMMER MAKES AN ENTRANCE

We have had a maximum temperature of 32˚C today and it felt very summery. We were warned by our meteorologists that Australia will experience a hotter than average Summer this year. Being by the seaside on days like today is lovely, but that sun can scorch!

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

IN THE SPRING GARDEN

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

SUMMER IS ON ITS WAY

We had a maximum temperature of 36˚C today, which was a little uncomfortable, especially as it was quite high after the few 20s and mid 20s we'd had previously. The sunset turned out to be quite summery too...

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

HIPPEASTRUM

Hippeastrum flowering in our garden. Hippeastrum is a genus in the family Amaryllidaceae. The name Hippeastrum, given to it by William Herbert, means "knight's star", although precisely what Herbert meant by the name is not certain.

For many years there was confusion among botanists over the generic names Amaryllis and Hippeastrum, one result of which is that the common name amaryllis is mainly used for cultivars of this genus, often sold as indoor flowering bulbs particularly at Christmas in the northern hemisphere.

By contrast the generic name Amaryllis applies to bulbs from South Africa, usually grown outdoors. The genus is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas from Argentina north to Mexico and the Caribbean.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

NATURE WALK

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

COLUMBINES

Aquilegia (common names: Granny's Bonnet or Columbine) is a genus of about 60-70 species of perennial plants in the Ranunculaceae family, that are found in meadows, woodlands, and at higher altitudes throughout the Northern Hemisphere, known for the spurred petals of their flowers. The genus name Aquilegia is derived from the Latin word for eagle (aquila), because the shape of the flower petals, which are said to resemble an eagle's claw. The common name "columbine" comes from the Latin for "dove", due to the resemblance of the inverted flower to five doves clustered together. 

Columbine is a hardy perennial, which propagates by seed. It will grow to a height of 30-60 cm. It will grow in full sun; however, it prefers growing in partial shade and well drained soil, and is able to tolerate average soils and dry soil conditions. Columbine is rated at hardiness zone 3 in the USA so does not require mulching or protection in the winter.

Large numbers of hybrids are available for the garden, since the British A. vulgaris was joined by other European and North American varieties. Aquilegia species are very interfertile, and will self-sow. Some varieties are short-lived so are better treated as biennials. Several hybrid cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

REMEMBRANCE DAY

Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy, and Armistice Day, to mark cessation of hostilities on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918), is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. The day is also marked by war remembrances in several other non-Commonwealth countries. In most countries, Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of First World War hostilities.

In Australia, Remembrance Day is always observed on 11 November, regardless of the day of the week, and is not a public holiday; it is a time when people can pay their respects to the substantial number of soldiers who died in battle. Some institutions observe two-minutes' silence at 11 am.

During the Second World War, many countries changed the name of the holiday. Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations adopted Remembrance Day, while the US chose Veterans Day.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

WETLANDS

At the Darebin Parklands after some rain, with the large pond overflowing onto the flats. The water birds love it and it makes for a good photo!

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

WEATHER CHANGE

Our Spring weather can be very changeable, with heat up to the mid-thirties (degrees Celsius, that is), and then in few minutes a change rolls in, clouds gather and the temperature plummets to 20˚C or less. Wind, rain and thunder are optional extras. Never a dull moment!

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

SPRING AT THE FLORIST'S

 This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

SUMER IS ICUMEN IN

Summer's coming and we've had the hottest day so far this Spring with a maximum of 33˚C. The parks are beginning to look a little parched already as we haven't had much rain lately.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

URBAN GARDEN

The irises are in bloom...

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

HAPPINESS

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme.

PLANE TREES

The plane trees (Platanus × acerifolia) in our neighbourhood suddenly went very green over a couple of weeks, sprouting their Spring finery of new leaves.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme