Looking out our kitchen window, we enjoy seeing the morning sun lighting up the eucalypts on a frosty Winter's morning:

I've zoomed in on those exposed bare branches, and we can see much better that here are some Galahs enjoying the warmth of that early morning sun:
I thought I'd take a few photos around the garden.
We don't have many flowers this time of the year, but there's always something interesting.
The Camellias can always be relied on to brave the frost and smile sweetly amongst their leaves:
I picked a few blooms and popped them on our table:
This is another variety of Camellia along the side fence. It's always had a rough and ready appearance... it's got attitude!
I had to look twice when I walked past the Windflowers. Something was occurring that I'd never noticed before:
The pods were turning into seeds... there seemed to be a soft cotton wool-like appearance to them:
So as to take some photos, I pushed an unopened one with my thumb and this is what happened:
Well, I learn something every day that's for sure.
So that's how they spread so easily around the garden. As I watched, the breeze gently wafted some of the looser pieces away:
Another reliable Winter friend is the Abutilons... the red ones especially seem to like the colder weather:
Here's something else I'd never noticed before.
It's the eucalyptus - the Argyle Apple - the one from which I pick leaves for my flower bouquets... it's in blossom!
This is a selection of those same leaves that I found at its base - they were all from this tree and in varying stages of drying out but I couldn't get over how beautiful they are and just had to photograph them:
... one more shot 😊 :
The good old succulents can always be relied on to flower. The bees love this one and this afternoon they were buzzing around like crazy. Its trunk is getting really thick now:
Into the shadehouse and I'd unfortunately left the lid off the terrarium I'd made and it'd filled with water. A bit of a drain and popped the lid back on and all will be well. The tiny ferns seem to be thriving:
The cold weather doesn't seem to worry this plant - it's never flowered, but I keep my eye on it... just in case... perhaps one day:
Across to my stone and shell garden, the little mermaid sits very happily. She loves it when it rains:
The Monstera is getting a new leaf and I love how they look just before they unfurl:
The crystal on my wire heart hanger was gleaming like crazy in the sun but I couldn't capture it! Ah well, it still looks pretty. It has hung in the garden for years now... I was sure I'd go on to make other things out of wire, but this was my one and only creation!
I hope you enjoyed the little ramble.
To close I'm sharing this beautiful Winter sunset - it was the end of a really sunny day.
We're lucky to have the sunshine even when its cold I reckon:
Thanks for joining me here. I will be on and off-line over the next little while.
We're looking forward to, and preparing for, a lovely family visit soon; and then some other matters which will take up a bit of time (all good, no problems).
So I shall catch up with each of you as I can.
Till later, cheerio and may each day be happy and peaceful...






Hello Sue, what a lovely variety of photos and subjects. The flowers are gorgeous, I love the camellias. The mermaid and shells are pretty. The Galahs are beautiful birds. Love the sky shots, beautiful sunset. Happy Monday, Enjoy your day and the new week ahead!
ReplyDeleteThank you so kindly Eileen :D) xx
DeleteHi Sue, your garden is looking great, we don't have those flowers in winter here! How fun to see those seeds, never sen one like that before. The mermaid and all the beautiful details make your garden to a wonderful place to be! Hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteThat's so lovely, thanks very much Valerie :D) xx
DeleteGosh Sue, isn't it wonderful to have so much warmth blooming on your winter days! Your Eucalyptus is such a grand tree...I love the plant for its fragrance and ability to stand up to flower arrangements as a bold statement! How nice that your sweet neighbor who has passed, is still sharing her Camellia and memories with you! All of your winter pictures are lovely today, your wire heart hanger adds plenty to your gardens. And, you will probably be receiving more windflowers this next year! Have a fun family visit! See you soon! xxoo
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Suzanne, really appreciated :D) xx
DeleteIt is really beautiful around your yard ; almost hard to believe it's Winter ... those leaves are beautiful and the camellias so delicate (I do remember that when we gardened in Oregon they would bloom in February -- definitely that was still Winter here.) But i'm telling you that very first picture of your amazing backyard birds really captured my interest -- so exotic to me and they are lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Sallie :D) xx
DeleteDear Sue - loved seeing your amazing winter garden...the camellias and abutilon are so beautiful and your sunset was just stunning. I am so glad you allowed me to ramble through your garden. Hope you have a wonderful time off. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteReally lovely, my pleasure, thanks very much Debbie :D) xx
DeleteWhat a gorgeous garden you have, Sue! And some plants and flowers seem to thrive in any weather conditions. Here in Montreal, where it can get very hot and extremely humid, the lilacs and many other flowers dry out and die. But the lilies and the hibiscus tend to be able to handle it. Everything in your photos is beautiful, and I like the leaves, too. Thank you so much for sharing, and I hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Linda... yay for the tough plants :D) xx
DeleteThanks to the garden for walking Sue ;-) is there now winter? Will there be frost and snow?
ReplyDeleteLots of frosts this year but never any snow here in the SE corner of Victoria :D) xx
DeleteAlways a pleasure to visit your happy place Sue! We don't have those pretty pink Galahs in North America I don't think.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Christine :D) xx
DeleteI LOVE your garden!! It's so beautiful. Thanks for sharing such beauty with us. :)
ReplyDeleteHow lovely of you to say Courtney.
DeleteMy pleasure :D) xx
I love the Galahs and the story of your camellia from your dear neighbor's flowers. You have so many beautiful and interesting things happening in your garden - truly a magical place, especially with that gorgeous sunset! Enjoy that family visit! xx Karen
ReplyDeleteSo kind Beatrice, thank you.
DeleteWe shall ... lots of cooking today ;D) xx
lol, not bad for a winter garden. Up here it would all be bare and white (snow), And I see the plant my mother used to have :)
ReplyDeleteIt always fascinates me the snowy scenes - as long as the house is cosy eh ;D)
DeleteThanks Monica xx
I totally agree with the previous comment: nothing grows here in Scandinavia during the winter :) I so love to see your plants & flowers that are so exotic to me (only house plants). The pink camellias are adorable. Wishing you a lovely week Sue.
ReplyDeleteHello Riitta, ah but that magnificent burst of growth and colour as winter gives way to spring is wonderful!! I'm so glad you love to visit and enjoy. Cheers :D) xx
DeleteHallo Sue,
ReplyDeletewelch ein wunderbarer Post! Danke für die herrlichen Fotos von dem, was im Wintergarten passiert, für die Kamelien, die Schönmalven (Abutilon), für die Blüten am Eukalyptus und den traumhaften winterlichen Sonnenuntergang!
Eine gute Zeit für Dich und Deine Familie. Bis bald!
Liebe Grüße sendet Edith aus Germany
Translation: "What a wonderful post! Thanks for the wonderful photos of what happens in the winter garden, for the camellias, the beautiful mallow (abutilon), for the blossoms of the eucalyptus and the dreamy wintry sunset!
DeleteA good time for you and your family. Bye for now!
Greetings from Edith from Germany"
Thank you very kindly Edith, lovely to see you again :D) xx
Thank you all so kindly for visiting, today I'm off for shopping, physio and some hearty soup making - and our dear family are arriving soon, so I shall be offline for a while now :D)
ReplyDeleteCheers and will catch up soon xx
Isn't it amazing the flowers that hang in last? Such a lovely post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, my poison ivy rash is better!
Hello Jenn, it is - always nice to have that bit of colour in winter.
DeleteGlad your clash with poison ivy is over now - it sounded awful!! :D) Cheers
Hello dear Sue! Thank you so much for your nice words on my site. I'm back on Blogland and totally impressed of this most lovely post. Nature around you is amazingly beautiful and your photos super. Thank you for all interesting detail of the wonders of Nature.
ReplyDeleteHave a great time xx
Thank you for popping by Sirkkis, I'm really glad you enjoyed this post and welcome back to blogland :D)
DeleteI really enjoyed the walk through your garden. Thanks! You have so many flowers, even in winter! Here in winter everything's dead in the garden, no flowers to see. yes, you are lucky to have the sunshine, and the flowers, and the amazing nature ... (can you tell I still miss Australia...?) Enjoy your family visit! I'll also be offline for a while :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, I can tell you miss Australia ;D), lovely to read your comment and enjoy your break too
DeleteOh your sunset is gorgeous, what wonderful colours.
ReplyDeleteI've always loved Camellia's and yours look lovely, my favourite colour too.
Have a wonderful time with your family.
My good wishes.
All the best Jan
thank you very much Jan, I do love the colour pink on the camellias. Appreciating your good wishes too :D)
DeleteHello Sue, your photographs are simply stunning. The Windflower seeds reminded me of the baby spiders we sometimes see in our garden – they huddle up together like that until they are disturbed, and then they scurry along the web to safety. But in the case of spiders, they huddle back together again once the danger has passed.
ReplyDeleteI love your pics of the Galahs. We had no idea what they were when we first visited your lovely country but our daughter-in-law soon enlightened us.
I’m sure you will enjoy the time with your family. Those visits are always so special.
I do know what you mean about the baby spiders... I've seen some like that - have to look twice to see what they were!
DeleteWe did enjoy our family time thanks Barbara :D)
Hello Sue,
ReplyDeleteso strange for me in Germany that right now is winter in Australia! Even more strange that plants blossom in winter time. What are your lowest and highest temperatures in that season?
Regards
Sigrid
it always intrigues me too how we can each be experiencing such different conditions. Our average minimum temp here in the south east corner of victoria for winter is around 9degC and the average maximum is 15degC but of course variations occur, such as -4degC just the other morning with a heavy frost.
DeleteThank you Sigrid for your visit :D)
oh i really enjoyed this fun filled post!!! we derive such great pleasures when we share our garden pickings with others, happiness x's 2!!!
ReplyDeletepretty pictures, we never really have any color in our winter garden!!
your winter sunset is gorgeous, i had almost forgotten how beautiful they can be!!!
that's beaut Debbie, thank you.
DeleteI too really love seeing everyone's gardens and I always pick up little hints and ideas ... there's always a pretty surprise waiting isn't there. Cheers :D) xx
Thanks Sue, I enjoyed our trip around your garden seeing something new. Love discovering something about our plants. I read recently that you can eat the petals of the abutilon in salads, interesting. Galahs are my favourite Aussie bird I think. At least until something else comes along and then that's my favourite. Keep warm.
ReplyDeleteappreciate your visit Sandy. I'm intrigued about eating those abutilon petals - must have a nibble when next down there with them ;D)
DeleteYes, I love watching them - they all claim the same perch at night ... like chooks!
Thanks, you too - keep warm... it's a chilly business this winter isn't it!
my 2nd visit, looking at the monstera more closely, it looks like an inch worm, doesn't it??
ReplyDeleteit does doesn't it! ;D) xx
DeleteThese are incredibly enjoyable photos from your garden Sue, I particularly loved the windflower producing seeds. Your mermaid and shell garden are very pretty but there are many visual delights here. Thank you, it has been a fun visit.
ReplyDeletethanks very much Denise. The shell garden holds many memories of lots of seaside visits :D) xx
DeleteYour garden looks lovely for winter. I can home to lots of plants burnt by severe frost and those darn rabbits digging holes
ReplyDeleteThank you for your lovely comments on my blog xx
thanks Angela!
Deleteoh no ... those wretched rabbits - why can't they just stick to delivering chocolate eggs ;D)
Oh Sue ! What a wonderful post and garden! I am in awe of that beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for sharing that !
Happy rest of the week!
oxo Susi
thanks so much Susi - have a wonderful week to come :D)
DeleteYour wonderfully eclectic photos are the perfect antidote to a frosty winter's day. I love the one of the galahs basking in the sunshine, their feathers all fluffed up to keep warm.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Vicki - I look out and up and over to them each morning and late afternoon. I love that view and, until I purposely photographed it for the blog, I didn't realise how often I take the view in :D) xx
DeleteThat was a really lovely tour of your garden, Sue. I especially like the camellias in the very pretty jug, your shell garden with the sweet mermaid and the lovely shades of the eucalyptus leaves.
ReplyDeleteHave a great time whatever you are doing.
love, Sheila
Thanks so much Sheila.
DeleteI'm glad I took those photos of the shell garden because one of the things that happened this week was that our septic tank needed emptying - we didn't realise but it is located under the shell garden, so two burly (but very considerate) men had to remove everything!!!
All will be well - everything can go back in place for another 12 years ;D)
Dearest Sue; OMG!!! How Gorgeous and Beautiful series of photos from your WINTER garden♫♫♫ I love Camellia; well I was fascinated by the picture of the cotton wool-like appearance one♡♡♡
ReplyDeleteMermaid is really lovely; yes, she loves rain, isn't she♪
So sorry for my long absence, Have a WONDERFUL rest of the week, Dear friend.
Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend, xoxo Miyako*
Hello Dear Miyako, thank you very much for visiting. Yes, those cotton wool seed pods are still clinging to the branches and are slowly being blown all over our garden! Lots of Windflowers will spring up in surprising places next season no doubt ;D) Cheers now!
DeleteThank you Sue. You take such wonderful photos. They are full of like and with great detail and depth. Hugs N
ReplyDeleteAppreciate your visit Nicole and your thoughts. will catch up soon :D)
DeleteI loved the walk through your garden. Thanks for taking me. Your abutilon looks much better than mine and the eucalyptus leaves are fantastic. But best I love the two birds soaking up the sun.
ReplyDeleteaw, how lovely, thank you Carola - always beaut to see you. I too love checking up on those birds morning and evening!
DeleteWhat a delightful series of beautiful photos dear Sue!!!
ReplyDeleteenjoyed each thoroughly!
you are amazing capturer my friend!
Thanks so much Baili - so glad you enjoyed them :D)
Delete