More Roses and Their companions

     I had moved some of my roses over winter, so now I'm trying to decide what to put in their place. There are lots of irises now, which I will divide and spread around the garden. I also have lots of lambs ears, which keep popping up in new places. The garden was a bare block 3 years ago, so I'm happy with the progress.
Some of my roses are very tall now, even though I cut them back quite a lot in winter. Another plant that keeps popping up is English violets. I started with about 6, now I have lots. Seaside daisies can also pop up in the garden, as well as unwanted places like my paths.
                                   

                                          Ambridge Rose

                                         Pat Austin, lambs ears and red fountain grass, foreground, right.

                                          Lichfield Angel

 

Blue beaded iris and rosemary

                                          Charles Darwin with seaside daisies

                                                      Yellow iris and rosemary

                                         Pat Austin and Lichfield Angel

Roses and their Companions

Some of my favourite plant combinations are bearded iris with roses. The irises can start flowering in late autumn and continue right through winter and early spring. My irises were all given to me by a dear friend and we had no idea what colour they would turn out to be. Since they were first planted 3 years ago, they have multiplied well. I now have light blue, purple, dark blue, yellow, apricot and a pink/maroon bicolour.
I have also planted Stachys, lambs ears and seaside daisies with native fanflower and blue flowered Dampieria.

                                                  Bi-colour Bearded iris

Blue salvia (foreground) and seaside daisy behind

                                             William Morris, a David Austin rose

                                       Charlotte and Stachys, (lambs ears)

                                           Summer Song, looking fabulous

                                     Ambridge Rose, abundant flowers and fabulous perfume

                                         Happy Child

                                         Charles Darwin

 Our garden is looking great, with the first spring flush of roses. At the front is Golden Celebration, behind is Pat Austin, Crown Princess Margareta, Summer Song, Ambridge Rose and Charlotte.

 Pat Austin

 Golden Celebration

 Happy Child

 Grace

Our new deck finally completed just in time for the hot weather.

It's spring here in Adelaide and my garden is looking quite good.
I'm enjoying the roses as always, but my native plants are thriving and the birds love them.
Some of the first roses to flower were Summer Song, Gold Bunny and Ben Britten.
There is still lots more to do.

 Pat Austin, lots of flowers, great colour and perfume.

 Summer Song, another beautiful rose, with great colour and perfume.

 Summer Song.

 Pat Austin

 Summer Song.

Unknown blue bearded iris. Gorgeous colour.

Birds

While my hubby and I were walking through a park close to home we spotted these lovely rosellas. Fortunately I had my new camera and telephoto lens, so got these great pictures.
The orange and blue bird is an Adelaide rosella, while the small green birds are musk lorikeets.

Also spotted were Willy wagtails, kookaburras and white cokatoos. More photo opportunities for me as spring approaches. I'm hoping the rosellas will make a nest in the tree hollow.
 

 Adelaide rosella, Platycercus subadelaidae.

 Adelaide rosella

Musk lorikeet, Glossopsitta concinna

My new camera

My early birthday present was a new Nikon DSLR. Happy and  loving it already.
 The 300mm telephoto lens is great.

 Barossa Valley, South Australia

 Trying the telephoto lens, in Tanunda, Barossa Valley

 Almond tree in blossom

 Park near my home

Photos from my travels and more roses

I have been taking photos many years and some of these include photos from my travels.

 

 Wallaby from The Grampians, Victoria.

 Wallaby and baby, Victoria

 David Austin rose, Crown Princess Margareta

 David Austin rose, Grace

 Healesville, Victoria.

 Sanctuary House garden, Healesville, Victoria.

The Grampians, Victoria

David Austin rose, Winchester Cathedral

Pictures from my garden

We built our new house in 2008 and finished it in 2009. There was lots of builders rubble and weeds and nothing else. I had a dozen roses in pots, some had been in pots for several years.
When we first planted, everything seemed really small. 2009 was a bad year for Adelaide gardens, there was a drought and severe water restrictions.
I thought I might lose some of my roses, but surprisingly they seemed not to mind too much.
2011 was a year of above average rainfall, so the garden flourished.

 Charlotte, a David Austin rose, grows well in a pot.

 Grace, another David Austin rose, lots of flowers, tea perfume.

 Blue salvia, with Belenois java male butterfly.

 Falstaff, large shrub, looks like it will be a climber. Lots of flowers in the second and third year.

 Stachys also called Lambs ears, does well in hot weather.

 Summer Song, gorgeous colour, perfume is banana and ripe fruit.

 Grace, foreground with Summer Song, background.

 David Austin roses Happy Child and Golden Celebration.

 Pat Austin, Lichfield Angel, Golden Celebration, Grace and Summer Song.

My cat, Carmen, with roses Falstaff and The Endeavour.