Botanic Gardens - Canberra

Yesterday we visited the Botanic Gardens in Canberra.  Before we set off I made my first attempts to get a good 4 generations pic!!  Hard to get Scarlett to look at the camera when its on timer!!

More pics and chatting:

Got the hat... must be ready to go!!

Then we set out and once there found a nice spot to have our picnic - delicious egg sandwiches, expertly made by GG from farm fresh eggs :)

Another go at 4 generations pic in the gorgeous Canberra sunshine :)

The gardens were lovely, lots of 'stuff' in flower.  We enjoyed a lovely walk around the rainforest area and then up to 'mallee' garden, good view across the carpark to parliament house.

Lots of very showy wattles:

Several different banksias:

Beautifully scented boronia:

Ferns, ferns and more ferns in the rainforest area:

Grass trees in full swing:

The hardenbergias were going off!!

Even the spent flowers were looking arty:

Paper daisies doing a good job of hiding the rubbish bin:

Silver Princess:

Saved the name of this plant, but having looked it up since its not the right one... will have to go back!!

Even the white heath looked good :)

Gardeners and Garden Gems

Sometimes the dogs want to give more help in the garden than is actually useful!!

Kiki:

Ruby (now with her second ear up!!) .... who has been pruning my kiwi vines whether I like it or not!!:

And some 'shots' of colour around the garden, blue star flowers - several clumps amongst the roses:

Some lovely little daffs, a bit bashed by dogs!!:

The daphne a riot of blooms again this year - star!!  And heavenly perfume :)

The flowering quince, tons of flowers and ignored by the crimson rosellas this year... maybe thanks to the dogs?

Have been looking around the shops for a red japonica, since the flowering quince is doing so well, but then I found I already had one!!  Not very big yet, but very pretty :)

A couple of pockets of grape Hyacinths looking lovely :)

And not to be forgotten the natives are also doing well, the grevillias are in full swing:

 Jonquils, nearly past it:

And just 2 flowers so far on the prunus, small but perfectly formed!

Kiki and the Garden

Its the end of July, and while I need to touch wood while I say it, there have been some very cold days, but overall its been quite a mild winter.  The garden is positively bursting with signs of an approaching spring.

The wattle is about to burst forth, just looking at it sends my heyfever into overdrive!!

The violets are out in force, mostly white but some pale blue as well, all very pretty :)

The prunus is about to provide another spectacular display.

Only have one hellebore, all the way from Tathra, and this one looks like it could be about to say 'FEED ME, Seymour, FEED ME!!' LOL!!

The jonquils are putting on a fine show.

The grevillias are at 'P-O-P' (point of pop)!

The hardenbergia is making the gum tree look very flashy.

The humble Hebe struggled through the intense summer, but is coming back now.

Flowering Quince, looking forward to these gorgeous blooms.

The daphne, huge and loaded with flowers and scent, that even with a heavy cold I can smell and enjoy.

Cape Daisies, not a big fan, but they are survivors!!

Kiki keeps herself trim, taut, terrific - well at least the pug version of that - by chasing birds around and around and around the orchard!