Brisbane, QLD


Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The Trees are Alive with Summer Blooms

Come for a walk with me to buy the newspaper and take in some flowering trees on the way. Sometimes we walk in the forest and then drive to buy the paper other times I walk to the shop, usually when BB has Atrial Fibrillation and finds it hard to walk. Today I grabbed my little Sony Cyber Shot and walked a circuit to the shop and back. It is about 3.5 km. I wind through the back streets and community parks to get there and then come back via the main road. It is before breakfast about 6.30am, the sky is full of heavy grey clouds covering us like a big blanket keeping in all yesterdays heat, it is about 27C, but it won't rain it just oozes humidity and it is like walking in a sauna. Aren't you lucky to be able to see the beautiful trees without the humidity?
We walk to the end of my street and enter a park. I love the contrast in colour of these two trees one almost black the other almost orange.

Then we go in between some houses, where an unusually coloured Bougainvillea hangs over a back fence. See how brown the grass is through lack of decent rain.
It is pink and orange

We cross the road and enter another little park.Then between the houses and onto another street.

A pink and orange Frangipani
Down a few streets and into another park. Then out to another street. The poincianas are starting to bloom, they are one of my favourites. Poinciana (Delonix regia)Hoping the residents of the house don't come out to see what I'm doing in their front yard. This street has a coloured tree in every garden. Coral Tree (Erythrina corallodedron) A red HibiscusThevetia neriifoliaSo now I have the paper in one hand and the camera in the other and we head for home. The main street was a bit boring.This Bauhinia galpinii is suffering from lack of water but manages a few flowers. Normally you can't see the branches for thick green leaves and masses of flowers.

At last off the road and back into the park for the uphill climb. Up the steepest bit to my street. Shirt wet and looking forward to a cold shower, drink of water and breakfast. Ah ha, home sweet home. Bill has breakfast ready on the deck.

15 comments:

  1. Oh Diane, thanks for taking me on your walk with you. Think I have had my exercise for the day!!!! ha.... Is breakfast ready???? I'll be right there..

    Love the poincianas.. Perfect for Christmas!!!! Are the 'kin' to our Poinsettias????

    The garbage 'bin' is great!!!!!

    Thanks for sharing so many beautiful bushes and shrubs and flowers today... We are in the dead of a drab winter.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  2. Wow Diane,
    Very very beautiful trees and shrubs.The tree between the poincianas (Delonix regia) and the pink frangipani (Plumeria rubra) is a Erythrina corallodendron (Coral tree).
    The tree with orange flowers, after the flower of hibiscus, is a Thevetia neriifolia.
    And the shrub with red flowers after Thevetia is a Bauhinia galpinii.
    Have a nice day.

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  3. Yikes! 27C already by 6:30am - spare me.

    That is a terrific way to explain your morning walk, Diane. It does all look desperately in need of rain. But if I am correct, earlier in 2009 you had rain rain rain and yet more rain. I guess that was a long time ago now. It is all incredibly neat and tidy and well-looked after - the entire neighbourhood. How long have you been in this particular house now?

    For the life of me I cannot get used to pink frangipani. I hanker just for the gorgeous yellow-cream one. Many of those plant look as though they have passed the test of time and have become accustomed to the lack of rain.

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  4. Xavi: Thank you for the names of the plants. It is wonderful having my own private botanist.
    Julie: That is true we had loads of tropical rain last summer and hope we get it again soon, but the forcast is not predicting so much this year. I think it is due to the El Ninio?? system.
    We have lived in this house for twenty years but in the area for 37 years.

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  5. Betsy: I don't think they are related to the poinsettias but I'm sure Xavi could tell us.

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  6. Diane

    Ah ha! At last it rained north of the Brisbane River. I went shopping also yesterday, certainly not through exotic parks and gardens like your area. I was a sponge,
    (the humidity), while just waiting for the train at the station! It looked like it might rain, but then for the past few days that has been the case. When I arrived back at Albion, there were puddles everywhere - water had fallen from the sky!!!! ( I think it is called rain?)Wonders of wonders! I doubt very much if what fell was of any benefit for the gardens and lawns - it probably only removed the dust and grime off the leaves. I did however find that my bathroom floor got a wash - I left the window wide open and even though it is gauzed, the rain obviously was heavy as it did a good job of washing (??) the floor. I'm not complaining - today I have to do a real bathroom clean-up! Again looks a bit promising, but will that water fall down again?
    Cheers
    "HB"

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  7. Whew! That was quite a walk- I'm tired! beautiful flowers and I can't imagine being in the summertime right now - so weird..good weird..but weird..

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  8. I love going on your blogalks, they are always fun and filled with the most beautiful sights. I love all those gorgeous blooms. With it being winter here and snow on the ground it is really nice to see all that color.

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  9. I wished I would be able to walk in such warm weather now, and celebrate Christams with 27°C in the morning ! Instead we have - 5°C, brrrrrrr

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  10. I just love it when I get to go for walks in other countries! Thank you and I hope you take us on some more walks...though I must admit I'm very glad I didn't have to deal with all that humidity and heat!

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  11. WONDERFUL! LOVELY! Thank you! I just had to shout, seeing all those lovely trees and flowers and parks, when my eyes see nothing but white and grey and white here.

    Thank you so much!
    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

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  12. Wonderful flowers, I liked seeing them but would not like the humidity!

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  13. What an interesting walk, diane! Wow, you have a LONG way to go for a paper. Good on you doing this every day. I'm astounded at the temp so early in the morning. I can just imagine the humidity. We experieced it in Zululand. I also love that you have so many shrubs that we do here in SA. Bauhinia, Erythrina, Hibiscus, Frangipani. Congratulations on your latest news of your expected grandson. (((Hugs))) Jo xxx

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  14. Wonderful color and thank you for the walk......you will have to come to Girraween next time the Flickr mob up here on the hill decide to go for a ramble

    lizzie b.

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