Sunday 29 July 2012

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

Monday 23 July 2012

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.

Sunday 22 July 2012

David Austin Roses

English roses or David Austin roses are some of the most beautiful roses bred in recent times.
Some of my favourites, (in no particular order) are:

Jude the Obscure, Falstaff, Pat Austin, Charles Darwin, Teasing Georgia, Crown Princess Margareta, William Morris, Summer Song, Windemere, Ben Britten, Lichfield Angel and William Shakespeare 2000. All have spectacular flowers and highly perfumed.
I also enjoy taking photos as I can see the changes from one season to the next.
Adelaide has long, hot summers and wet winters, so ideal conditions for growing most English roses.
 William Morris, tea perfume with a hint of violet and cucumber
 Charles Darwin, tea perfume with a lemony hint.
 Jude the Obscure, wonderful perfume, fruity and strong, a real favourite with my friends
 Windemere, fruity fragrance, lots of flowers.
 William Shakespeare, 2000, loads of flowers, beautiful old rose perfume.
 William Shakespeare, 2000, hard colour to photograph, it's darker and more red in reality.
Teasing Georgia, fruity and tea fragrance, loads of flowers, beautiful in a vase.

 
 Ben Britten, beautiful colour and fruity perfume.

Winter in Adelaide

While it is cold and wet, I'm starting this blog to post my photos of roses. This will hopefully keep me going until spring, when my garden will look it's best. Here I have added photos from last spring.
 Cardwell Pink, an Australian teatree
 Crown Princess Margareta, a David Austin rose
 Red Pierre on the arch, behind is Falstaff, a David Austin rose
 Gold Bunny rose
Yellow bearded iris, unamed.