New Zealand
This beauty is a welcome surprise that I found by the front door a couple of days ago. Photos by Nigel, taken today. (I was holding/steadying the stem!) Click on either photo to enlarge. Text by Liz, photos by Nigel; Exploring Colour (2020)
This lovely manuka or teatree was flowering in the native area at Dunedin Botanic Garden on Christmas Day 2019. I took these about 3.30pm. Dunedin, New Zealand. This particular manuka is Leptospermum scoparium 'Wiri Amy'. The 'Wiri' signifies that this plant originated from the Leptospermum breeding programme at the Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens, Manurewa. Click... Continue Reading →
I took these daisy photos at the Dunedin Botanic Garden on 24 Dec 2019. Dunedin, New Zealand. Click on any photo to enlarge. Erigeron flowers from one of the colour beds. Following photos were all taken in the herb garden, one of our favourite places. Text and photos by Liz; Exploring Colour (2020)
This is another building, standing beside the derelict garage at Crookston where Nigel took the photos of yellow sedum that were posted in Stop For Sedum. Front left and right of a big shed. Photos taken by Liz, 18 Jan 2020. Crookston, West Otago, New Zealand. I took this photo primarily for the attractive misty... Continue Reading →
We were heading away from Tapanui one misty morning and given it's now mid-summer this was unusual. We hadn't gone far, Crookston for those who know the area, when I spotted a blob of very bright yellow at gutter level on the corner of a building - which made me ask Nigel to stop and... Continue Reading →
Driving back to Tapanui via Moa Flat yesterday we suddenly came upon these golden slopes, probably brassica flowers from a farm crop. Those are the Blue Mountains in the distance, behind Tapanui. West Otago, New Zealand. Nigel got a nice photo of the view so I've done a 1600px-wide image. Click on the photo to... Continue Reading →
Our iconic New Zealand cabbage tree that I've featured multiple times on my blog is Cordyline australis but we have other species of Cordyline and today I'm featuring Cordyline banksii, endemic to NZ. "Cordyline banksii may have a single stem or may branch close to the ground to form a dense clump. The long and... Continue Reading →
Rose and Buds. Taken by Liz at Dunedin Botanic Gardens, 24 Dec 2019.
I've shared with you the tui mural photos that we took on Christmas Day but we also enjoyed a wonderful visit to a Catholic church in South Dunedin named St Patrick's Basilica - it felt very special to be there. For the record I know very little about Catholicism but the church felt very welcoming.... Continue Reading →
The bumble bees were loving the Stachys byzantina (lamb's ears) when we wandered close for a look on Christmas Day 2019. The attention was too much for some but others stayed for the photo op. Mediterranean Garden, Dunedin Botanic Garden, New Zealand. First two photos taken by Liz, last photo by Nigel. Click on photo... Continue Reading →
"We are the lifeline if anything goes wrong, so we have an important role to play, and I think people are generally very grateful for what we do," Charmaine says. Aboriginal mums / grand mums who started a fire brigade to protect their area: "There was a sense of helplessness before we came along but... Continue Reading →
Pink flowered Phlomis blooms in the Mediterranean Garden at Dunedin Botanic Gardens, New Zealand. I've already posted photos today of the yellow flowered form in the same garden. Photos taken 24 November 2019. Photos 1 and 2 taken by Nigel and the 3rd taken by Liz. Text by Liz, photos by Nigel and Liz; Exploring... Continue Reading →
